As The Pendulum Swings
by the holy see
Summary: Set @ the Turn Back The Pendulum Series. Hishashi Kumiko was the one person that Byakuya desperately sought to push away. He never thought that she would be the one to teach him how to break the rules. Byakuya/oc Hinted Shinji/oc. M for sexual content
1. Kusajishi's Harlot

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer:** I, in no way, shape or form, own any part of Bleach or the characters used in the story except for Hisashi Kumiko. All rights reserved to Tite Kubo.

**Note:** Please take note that the story takes place a century before the start of the Bleach storyline. It is set a thousand years (give or take) before hand during the "Turn Back the Pendulum" mini-series. For the plot's sake, I have fast forwarded some of characters' rise in ranks (i.e. Byakuya/Matsumoto/Komamaru/Tosen) to fit the story. I will also be writing in some characters, such as Hisana, earlier than normal. Please enjoy!

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**Chapter One  
**_**Kusajishi's Harlot**_

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Kumiko's legs dangled off of the edge of the floor she currently sat on. Peering over the side of the gaping hole through the three stories of the warehouse, she watched Kensei's attempts to silence a difficult Mashiro who had launched into another one of her trademark fits. She swung her legs back and forth, blue and green high cut sneakers shifting a milimeter forwards then backwards with the gravity behind each swing. She ran a hand through her purple shoulder length hair and sighed, rolling her shoulder in an exaggerated circle to alleviate some of the muscle tension. It had been nearly a decade since Urahara Kisuke had first supplied her with her gigai and she was, until now, unable to move as comfortably in the body as the rest of her companions were.

There was a soft thud next to her, a small cloud of dust flying about as the person took their seat. She looked up to meet a pair of gray eyes fringed by blonde hair. Shinji adjusted his brown hat atop his head after he set his zanpakuto down next to him. He placed a light kiss on Kumiko's forehead. The girl's, or woman's rather, eyes fluttered shut when he did so, seeing and hearing nothing, reveling in the comfort that the warmth of his lips on her skin could give.

Shinji pulled away, "Hiyori's just about done cookin' dinner."

"That's ominous," Kumiko replied, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips as she swung her legs back onto the concrete and falling backwards into Shinji's lap. "I didn't know everyone had some sort of death wish."

Shinji looked down at her, staring at the lime green pools that were directed at some other object, "Well, I suppose we could stay here for a while longer and prolong an untimely death."

Kumiko raised her hands over her head, arching her back in effort to will away the pain from a rather brutal hit that she took from Lisa earlier that day. They were all able to maintain their hollow masks for several hours at a time now, but it didn't hurt to keep going at it and reach new heights. The hem of the white v-neck shirt that Kumiko wore slipped up past the waist of her blue shorts as she stretched her body, a hundred year old tattoo on the left side of her pelvis. Shinji eyed the tattoo before his eyes trailed up a few inches, settling on a scar just a few inches from her belly button. He touched his hands to it as Kumiko relaxed her body, tracing the three inch blemish lightly. The purple haired woman sighed softly, resting her hand on top of his.

"How much longer do you think this is going to take?" Kumiko asked, content to be near Shinji.

"I have a feeling that it won't be much longer till I can make my move," Shinji replied, eying the clear blue sky of Karakura town through the window. "I can feel the instability in the kid's reiatsu but I want to be completely sure before I do anything."

"I can feel it too," Kumiko agreed, "But I have to say that I honestly don't see much of a point behind any of it. The nine of us have spent hundreds of years training ourselves and we're only growing stronger. Even with the presence of the arrancar, we can take them. Why can't we strike now?"

"We'll take our revenge when winter comes to assure our victory," Shinji stated.

"Alongside the assholes that threw us out when we needed them the most?" Kumiko asked bitterly.

Shinji grimaced. Out of all of the vizards, Kumiko was the one who was most unable to let go of her anger. Truth be told, it was sadness masked by anger. The things Kumiko wore were enough of an indication to show just how little she had been able to let go. First there was the shortened blue haori that she wore over her shirt, reminiscent of the captain's haori that she used to wear and a tribute to her memories as a taicho. Her captaincy meant the world to her; the product of an oath that she took many years ago before flames and rubble. The second was the sash that she used to strap her zanpakuto to her back. Shinji found it to be an unconscious statement made by Kumiko as the sash would run over the left portion of her chest, above her heart. It was given to her by someone special, someone who probably thought Kumiko to be a traitor or dead at best.

"A little more patience is required," Shinji said. "We will make our move when the time is right. For now, that kid needs our help. He might even make a valuable addition to our ranks."

"I still think it'll be a waste of time," Kumiko said, standing up and tying her zanpakuto to her back with a long green sash, a complement to her eyes. "His reiatsu seems too unstable at times. He may end up destroying himself despite any effort we exert."

The blonde took the hand that Kumiko extended out to him, looking down at the woman who stood a little more than a head shorter than him. Her haori flurried a little in the rare breeze that came through their make shift home. It's easy to pick yourself back up from the ground and battle with the hollow within you in a decade. Piecing a shattered heart back together? Not so much.

"I'll just have to make sure that he proves you wrong then," Shinji grinned, patting the dust off of the back of his pants.

"Kumiko!" a disgruntled Hiyori yelled from below them, "Get yer ass down here! I'm losin' my patience with this piece of crap you idiots call a stove."

The pair peered over the edge of the second floor and saw Hiyori looking ready to throttle the inanimate object of her fury in the far corner of the bare space they had been living in. It was a far cry from the luxuries that they used to enjoy, but they had made due with the little blessings they had been given. Kumiko pushed herself up on the tip of her toes, grabbing a hold of Shinji's shirt, to kiss the man's lips quickly.

"I'm going to go save our lives," Kumiko said, in reference to the steaming gas stove, waving to Shinji who had remained in his spot as Kumiko stepped over the edge. She landed without trouble on the first floor, walking over to Hiyori with her hands in her pocket.

Shinji brought his foot down on the hilt of his zanpakuto, sending it spinning into the air before he grabbed it with a quick snap of his arm. He shoved his free hand into a pocket, taking Kumiko's lead and stepping uncaringly off of the second floor to rejoin the rest of his kind.

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_**The pendulum slows to a halt, suspended in mid air. Around it, all movements seize. It falls, slowly but surely, in the opposite direction, turning back time to revisit events that took place a thousand years prior to the turbulence of today. Back to its humble beginnings. **_

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"Oy, Kumiko! Quit slackin'!"

A clenched fist shot up into the air as a very long blonde haired head bent down. There was a small crunch as Kumiko tiredly raised her head from the sizable stack of papers she had made her pillow, prying her eyelids apart to survey the damage that she was sure she had caused. Sprawled out on the floor, with the indentation of a fist in the center of his face, the gobantai taicho, Hirako Shinji, held a trembling hand to his face, peering down his nose at the ache that Kumiko had gifted him with.

"What'd ya do that for?!" Shinji bellowed, scrambling to his feet quickly, waving an accusatory finger in his friend's fatigued face.

"That's what you get for startling me!" Kumiko retorted, rising from her seat a little and slamming a fist on her desk.

The force of her fist shook the dozens of towering paperwork on her table and they wobbled slightly, threatening to topple over as all the sleep from Kumiko's face melted away only to be replaced by sheer terror. Both people remained glued to their spots, afraid that even the slightest of movements on their parts would encourage a waterfall of tediously organized reports to tumble down on them. The papers steadied and Shinji, who was standing in front of Kumiko's desk by this time, breathed a long sigh of relief with Kumiko.

"Super kick!"

Shinji's eyes widened suddenly and Kumiko was barely able to yell when Shinji flew forward, his body barrelling through the reports and into the girl that had painstakingly sorted them. They both fell, sorely lacking the finesse and grace of a captain, into a heap on the floor, papers littering the previously spotless tenth division office floors. Hiyori grinned triumphantly from the top of the desk, her hands resting on her hips as she peered at both her intended and accidental victim.

"Sorry 'bout that Kumiko," Hiyori shrugged, a hand scratching at the back of her head. "But you already know that there are casualties to every war, ne?"

The addressed girl groaned a little, deciding that this was one of the worst wake up calls that she had ever gotten, squirming under the weight of Shinji's body as she tried to get up. His unmoving form, however, had done a good job at prohibiting her any movement.

"Get off of me, pervert," Kumiko whined.

"Nah," came a muffled reply as Shinji nuzzled his face into the crook of Kumiko's neck, "I'm starting to like it here."

"Get off of her, pervert."

Shinji rolled himself off of his former lieutenant and sat up, grinning at the jyu-san division taicho who had chosen this particular moment to arrive. Ukitake Juushiro raised an eyebrow before a smile broke over his face, observing the destruction within the office doors.

"Finally feeling better, huh?" Shinji greeted his friend as he stood up. It was only yesterday that Shinji was helping the soon to be fukutaicho, Shiba Kaien, finish up his divisions paperwork as the sickly captain lay in bed.

"Yes, thank you," Juushiro said, crossing his arms as he turned to Kumiko. "I knew you never had an affinity for paper work, Kumiko-san, but I wasn't expecting it to be at this extent."

It was Kumiko's turn to scramble to her feet quickly, "It's not my fault! If Shinji hadn't disturbed me and dragged a wave of blonde destruction along with him, I would have been close to finishing by now!"

"If I hadn't come here, you'd still be drooling all over your paperwork, baka!"

"Better for a few reports to be a little wet than being completely strewn all over my office!"

"So yer admittin' that you drool in yer sleep!"

"Shut yer traps!" Hiyori joined in. "The both of ya!"

Juushiro sighed a little as he watched the interaction between his fellow captains and an amusingly disrespectful lieutenant. Normally, he would find these bouts of bickering to be amusing, this one was no exception. The look of indignation of Kumiko's face along with the rebellious and mocking expression on Hiyori and Shinji's faces were enough to keep him entertained for a good portion of his day. After all it was nice to see the young Shinigami –young by their standards at least- so spirited. It had been nearly ten years since he had first taught Kumiko and seven years since her promotion to taicho by Shinji's and his recommendation.

She was still the same girl that had come to the Sereitei from one of the poorest districts of the Rukongai, determined to become a Shinigami despite the prejudices against her, the same girl who breezed through the Shinigami Academy. The same girl that, being a driven spirit that had survived her fair share of tragedy, now managed to rival Shinji in strength; A fact that she loved to remind Shinji of over and over again.

"You wouldn't be in this situation if you'd found yourself a lieutenant several years ago like you should've!"

"Says the man who took six years to replace me," Kumiko snorted at Shinji, re-tying her long purple hair into a high ponytail, pushing the bangs that constantly fell into her face to the side.

"I still did it before you even began to look for a subordinate," Shinji countered.

"If I remember correctly," Hiyori pointed out, "Kumiko wanted Aizen but you took her pick from her before she even had the chance to tell Yamamoto-sotaicho."

"Who's side are ya on!?"

"I seem to remember that as well," Kumiko said as she set about picking up the reports that littered the floor.

"Well that settles it then," Shinji said, "Yer both bakas."

"I ain't on either of your sides," Hiyori said, spinning on her heel to walk out of the office. "Shinji's an idiot and you, Kumiko, are the pushover that let Shinji get away with it."

"Haven't you ever heard of respecting your superiors?" Kumiko yelled exasperatedly after Hiyori, a vain popping up and throbbing at her temple.

"Like that'll ever happen! Sayanora ya stinkin' baldies."

Shinji and Juushiro assisted in the gathering of reports, handing each of their handfuls to Kumiko as she set about re-organizing everything on her desk. Shinji watched her carefully, her hands working quickly but meticulously as she sorted each piece of paper work into several different piles. He hadn't failed to notice the sweat that lined her brow when he walked into her office earlier. Her purple hair had clumped together against her forehead while her fists clenched and unclenched themselves.

The things that Kumiko had done and been through prior to her acceptance into the Shinigami Academy were no secret to both Juushiro and him. They were both there at the pub, along with Shunsui, Kensei and Hiyori, the one and only time that Kumiko ever shared her story. Like everyone, she had her share of losses, but she was bouncing back from that era in her life, achieving the ultimate success of becoming a captain in the coveted Gotei 13. That, however, didn't mean that the dreams would go away as quickly as they had all hoped they would.

"You alright, Kumiko?" Shinji finally asked. "You were havin' a pretty nasty dream when I walked in."

Juushiro glanced questioningly at Shinji before a gaze of realization fell on Kumiko. He knew exactly what Shinji was talking about. Kumiko's movements halted so briefly that neither of the two men knew whether it had really happened. She resumed her tasks, straightening out a handful of reports as she smiled reassuringly at both of her friends.

"I'm fine, Shinji, Juushiro-senpai," Kumiko said, "They're hardly as bad as they used to be. Nothing I can't deal with, ne?"

"Are you sure?" Juushiro asked.

"I'm sure," Kumiko replied. "Now, how's the lieutenant you stole from me Shinji? And Jushiro-senpai, has Kaien-san accepted your offer yet?"

Shinji sat on the only free spot on Kumiko's desk, an air of carelessness in the way he spoke, "I still think there's somethin' a little off about him. S'why I didn't want him under ya, so that I could keep a good eye on him."

"Baka-nii," Kumiko laughed, "I'm more perceptive than you are."

"Whatever ya wanna think."

"And you, Juushiro-senpai?"

Juushiro walked over to Kumiko's bookshelves, his earlier concern ebbing away. _Kumiko's a big girl. She can take of herself_. "He's still a little apprehensive about taking the position but I have come to the conclusion that he has already subconsciously accepted it. He's certainly acting the part, bossing everyone around, including me when he can get away with it."

"He always was a little on the pushy side," Kumiko laughed, remembering her past classmate. Regardless of his higher status, Kaien had always treated Kumiko as an equal, a fact that she treasured.

Shinji stared out the office's window, his boredom growing as the impending doom of yet another highly uneventful meeting at the first division closed in on them.

"I know you don't have a lieutenant yet, Hisashi, but you are aware that you have subordinates, right?"

"He's right, Kumiko," Juushiro concurred, "Why don't you have someone else take care of those, ne? It'll give us some time to pass by Shunsui before we have to go to the commemoration ceremony."

Kumiko craned her neck to take a peek out of her office's doors, searching for some poor soul to pass the burden of paper work on to. She almost laughed when she saw her sixth seat, Kaname Soujiro, creeping by, hoping not be seen by his taicho.

"Soujiro."

The sixth seat's figure froze mid step, his face turning a slight shade of blue before turning his head to his captain. He had heard his captain arguing with Hirako-taicho and Sarugaki-fukutaicho earlier and was eager to pass by unnoticed rather than become the proverbial chew toy to his superior's often unstable temper. Soujiro took a big step into the office, body stiff, arms glued to his sides as he bowed.

"H-hai, Hisashi-taicho-dono-sama-senpai," he stuttered, stumbling over the many honorifics that he let slip from his mouth.

"I need to be on my way to the first division," she said, straightening her short-sleeved kosode and her equally altered haori as Shinji and Juushiro watched the exchange with masked amusement and pity respectively. "The ninth division has been persistent in their attempts to collect paper work early for their news magazine so I'll be needing you to organize these."

A singular drop of sweat formed and fell from the shinigami's brow as he bowed even lower, "Hai, taicho!"

"And don't even think of letting Matsumoto anywhere near these," Kumiko added as an afterthought, her busty and boisterous tenth seat suddenly coming to mind.

"H-hai!"

"Ya sure know how to terrorize your squad," Shinji commented as the trio made their way out of the tenth division and towards Shunshui's home. They highly doubted that he would be anywhere near his office as the hachibantai taicho had taken to leaving paperwork to his lieutenant, who had grown fairly skilled at foraging the captain's signature, while he enjoyed copious amounts of sake.

"I haven't mastered it nearly as well as you have," Kumiko laughed. "It makes me wonder how you can keep your subordinates in order, Juushiro-senpai."

"I've been a captain far longer than either of you two," Juushiro pointed out. "It comes naturally."

Kumiko skipped ahead of the two a little, pivoting to face them as she continued her walk backwards. She smiled at the two people she had grown most fond of in the past few years, thanking the heavens for blessing her with a proxy family.

"Yamamoto-sama is assigning a new captain today, isn't he?" she questioned, still walking backwards.

"To the twelfth division, I believe," Juushiro answered, "Hence the ceremony later today."

"Hikifune's done well for herself," Shinji commented, "Zero division's as high as you can get."

Kumiko grimaced, an awkward laugh falling from her lips, "I feel bad for the new taicho already. Being stuck with Hiyo-ORO!"

Kumiko's first mistake was thinking she could walk backwards without eventually falling over. Her track record in the field of grace wasn't exactly impressive and she added to her failure when her heel caught a rock protruding out of the ground. She flailed her hands rapidly about her as she attempted, and failed, to regain lost balance. She fell backwards, when her arms had proven unable to produce enough air to keep her afloat, and shut her eyes tight for the bruising to her rear and ego that sure to come.

Like most things Kumiko thought herself to be sure of, she was proven wrong when the bump never came, falling, instead, back first into a muscular chest, strong hands steadying her by the arms. Juushiro and Shinji chuckled at their accident prone friend as she tilted her head backwards to look up at the face of her catcher. Her eyes trailed up the typical black kosode of the Shinigami uniform, up a neck, onto a defined jaw line, past a few strands of black hair and into a slight purple tinted, dark blue eyes. He was remarkable. He was beautiful.

Kuchiki Byakuya looked down at the girl that had landed unexpectedly in his arms, his eyes growing just a bit wider when he realized just who it was that he had caught. Slightly ahead to his left, he heard his grandfather give a deliberate cough that didn't go unnoticed by either of them. Kumiko quickly regained her balance and bowed slightly to the sixth division taicho, Kuchiki Genrei.

"Kuchiki-taicho," Kumiko squeaked, rising from her bow to greet her elder.

"Hisashi-taicho," he replied with a small and curt nod of his head, a small smile forcing wrinkles onto his aged face. "Hikaro, always a pleasure. Juushiro, it's nice to see you up and about. I assume that you both know my lieutenant and grandson, Byakuya."

"Good afternoon, Hirako-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, Hisashi-taicho," Byakuya said with a small but slightly forced bow, the hair bound by his high ponytail brushing at his cheeks as he did so.

The three captains returned the fukutaicho's greeting with nods and Kumiko laughed slightly as she addressed Byakuya, "Thank you for saving me what's left of my ego, Byakuya-fukutaicho."

Juushiro noted the tension between the two of his former students. It had been a while since they had last seen each other, save the few occurrences that they had ran into each other in passing. It was, Juushiro believed, about seven years since they had actually spent any meaningful time with each other. The last being a few days before Kumiko learned she was going to be a captain. Since then, there had been nothing more than a few glances at each other and a courteous greeting. Even more so after Byakuya was appointed lieutenant of the sixth division.

Kumiko stood with a bit of unease as Byakuya eyed her somewhat coldly. Kumiko had last seen Byakuya in passing at the celebration that Genrei had organized in lieu of his promotion. With the tenth and ninth squads being those usually sent out to deal with any hollow appearances, she had little time to stand about idly. She hadn't even been able to congratulate Byakuya when a hell butterfly appeared to inform her that her squad was being dispatched to deal with an unusual appearance of a Menos. If her squad wasn't patrolling, she was buried under paperwork, having yet to figure out how to get her work done and still have some down time after. Despite the circumstances though, she couldn't shake the feeling that Byakuya was also going out of his way to avoid her.

They had been friends in the past as Genrei had taken a liking to Kumiko in her earlier years as a student, introducing her to both Juushiro and Byakuya. The pair of youngsters then had helped each other grow stronger during large amount of time they had spent together in the academy and the lessons that Juushiro would give them. Byakuya had changed a lot since then, Kumiko noticed. He used to be so hot headed and quick to act on his irritations and anger. It looked he had matured a lot, his face calm and impassive, regarding her with what most would call cold indifference.

"It was no trouble, Hisashi-taicho," Byakuya replied stiffly.

A frown sprouted on Kumiko's face at the realization that Byakuya had refused to speak her name. Kuchiki Genrei's eyes twinkled lightly. It was a shame that Byakuya had chosen to dissolve the relationship they used to have. Then again, with Hisashi's quick rise in rank and the increase in her responsibilities, there was little that either could have done to change the course their lives had taken. Byakuya had his own responsibilities as Genrei's future successor. Genrei cleared his throat; It didn't help that a majority of the Kuchiki clan had made it clear to them both how badly they thought of Kumiko both for necessary actions she took in her past and the mere fact that she was a commoner from the dirtiest parts of the Rukongai. It was as if her rank in the Gotei 13 meant nothing to them. A part of the old man tried to abide by the rules of his noble house as the clan leader should, but the other half hoped that Byakuya would not be as close minded as the rest.

"If you'll excuse us," Genrei said, deciding it best to put an end to the tension. "I trust we will see you all at the commemoration ceremony later. Let's go, Byakuya."

Byakuya took one last look at Kumiko before he followed his grandfather away from the three captains. When Byakuya had first met her, he knew that she was nothing special. She was nowhere near as strong or as pretty and well-mannered as the other girls that he had met through his grandfather or at the Academy. The only thing that she had more of than anyone else was persistence which had obviously done her well. He could feel that her reiatsu had grown considerably and she proved herself at her examinations, Byakuya hiding behind a few pillars as he watched her back then.

Their friendship had long since diminished. He reminded himself of this fact as he continued to follow his grandfather towards Unohana-taicho's office. They were separated by rank now, as well as the fact that Byakuya found it to be problematic to even attempt to go back to the way things used to be. Back when he didn't know that she lived a dirty life and somehow managed to end up in the Sereitei. Back when he didn't care about the uptight rules of aristocracy.

As he and his grandfather neared the fourth division, Byakuya noted something. _Her eyes are still as bright and green as I can remember._

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**[Chapter Two Preview]**

"_I'm far worse than you are."_

"_Quiet. There's nothing anyone could possibly say to make me change my mind. Like it or not, you're stuck with me."_

"_Who says I'll have you?"_

_They glared at each other for a few moments before their laughter broke the silence and flew about with the wind, petals of falling Sakura blossoms tickling at their cheeks. _

**[End]**

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Hope this chapter was satisfactory. A big thank you to my wonderful beta, **Rukia23**, who coincidentally, has two Bleach stories of her own. If you haven't read them yet, you're missing out. Seriously.

Please let me know what you think.

Jia-ne!


	2. Sakura

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything you recognize as much as I wished otherwise.

**Note:** Thank you so much to **anihana** for being my first and only reviewer. You seriously made me feel a lot less paranoid about my writing. Also, once again, a big, big thank you to my vahn- dur-vull beta, **Rukia23** (who has coincidentally updated her story _'The Night Beauty'_ - check it out!) for going through my work and dealing with my excessive PM's. For those of you that like to have some soundtrack to the stories that you are reading, I'd like to sugggest:

_"Rolling Star" _by YUI.

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**Chapter Two  
_Sakura_**

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"How much longer are we going to have to wait," Mashiro wailed.

Kensei looked up from his spot against the wall, willing himself not to lose his patience with his bothersome vice captain as he shut his eyes tight, eyebrows knitted together.

"Kumiko-san," Mashiro continued to cry out. "I'm bored!"

Kumiko agreed with the green haired lieutenant's sentiments as she examined her socked feet. They had been waiting in the room for nearly thirty minutes now and there was still no sign of Shinji, neither the sotaicho nor the new captain. She leaned her head against Ukitake's shoulder as he conversed with Kyoraku.

There was a knock on the large closed doors of the meeting hall, "Anybody home?"

Hiyori's head shot up, a menacing grin settling on her freckled face. She took off from her previous spot on the floor, surprising Lisa who was engrossed in another one of her mangas.

"The heartthrob captain of the fifth division has arrived!" Shinji's bellows continued. "You mind openin' this bad boy up!?"

Kensei shook his head as Hiyori jumped off the floor, one foot extended out before her as she kicked the door opened, her foot planting itself into Shinji's face.

"T-taicho!" Sousuke Aizen stuttered as the blonde fell at the hands of Hiyori for the second time that day.

"My bad, you stinkin' baldy!" Hiyori cried triumphantly, "I confused your face for a door mat!"

"Hiyori, why you -!"

Shinji took a few seconds to recover before bouncing back up onto his feet, one hand clutching his bleeding nose. They exchanged their usual vulgarities, much to the amusement of the present captains and lieutenants, Love walking from his spot, coming up behind Hiyori.

"Forget it!" Hiyori's voice drifted into the hall, "You're not getting an apology out of me!"

"You could at least let me finish my sentence before shootin' me down!"

"Would it kill you to act your age?" Love asked calmly, his fist going up in the air then crashing down onto Hiyori's head. "Apologize, now!"

Barely able to stop her face from colliding with the ground, Hiyori rubbed the throbbing ache in the back of her head, glaring up at the seventh division captain rebelliously. Love's eyebrow twitched slightly as he made a subtle effort to be patient with the blonde firecracker.

"Why must you always be so difficult?" Love asked again

"Who died and made you king, Love! You're the one going around smacking law abiding lieutenants, who don't fall under your jurisdiction, upside their heads!"

"Seeing as your captain's not here," Love replied, referring to the recently promoted Hikifune, "Someone has to pull the reigns in on you, otherwise you'll run amuck."

"Stop treatin' me like some snot nosed punk!" Hiyori cried indignantly.

Kumiko did her best to tune them out, yawning and letting her weight sink deeper into Ukitake's side. Her eyelids drooped a little, spotting Shinji making faces at the back of Hiyori's head as she stomped back towards the rest of their comrades. There were a few cries of 'he's makin' those faces again' and 'I'm gonna kill him' off in the distance. Love was telling Hiyori that she was rubber and Shinji was glue as Kyoraku excused himself from his conversation with Ukitake to go flirt with his lieutenant, something that was becoming normal for the eighth division Taicho. Kumiko felt Ukitake shift and wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"Some role model, isn't he," Kumiko laughed lazily at Shinji who had continued to make his faces at Hiyori. "I'm glad to see that he has once again chosen to take the high road."

"You really should find yourself a fitting lieutenant soon," Ukitake said softly, changing the subject. "A lieutenant will help you keep things in order and shoulder the paper work. That way you won't have to be up half the night all the time."

"I haven't found anyone that I like yet," Kumiko muttered. "Unless you'll let me steal Kaien from you."

"You'll have to fight me," Ukitake joked. "He's proven very useful around my division."

"Like I won't kick your ass."

"I believe you've tried and failed countless times."

"What's the headcount lookin' like," they heard Shinji asking Love as they strode lazily towards the rest of them.

"Most everyone is already here," Love replied.

"I don't see no one from the eleventh squad nowhere," Shinji observed, swinging his head around at the other captains and lieutenants.

"You know how he is," Love said, "Marches to the beat of his own drum."

Shinji scratched at his head, eyeing a way out of being at the upcoming commemoration ceremony, "Just 'cuz he's the tenth Kenpachi, no one's got the marbles to keep him in check. I don't, for the life of me, know why they let such a loose cannon like him become a captain."

"No use crying over spilled milk," Love said. "The chosen Kenpachi has always held the position as eleventh division captain. It's a legacy of some sorts and it won't be changing any time soon."

"I don't see Hikifune anywhere," Ukitake noted as Kyoraku neared them again, Lisa in tow, "Is she skipping today's commemoration?"

Kumiko pried herself away from the warmth of Ukitake's side and raised her arms above her head, stretching them as best as she could, "I think so."

"She's getting a feel for her new crew," Kyoraku followed up.

"Why the rush," Ukitake sighed. "It's so much easier when you ease into such things."

"I know right?" Kyoraku replied.

Kumiko looked at Kyoraku with a raised eyebrow. That man certainly was a piece of work. They assembled themselves in their respective places, odd numbered captains on the right and even numbers on the left, sensing that the sotaicho would be arriving soon. The lieutenants in attendance lined up behind and slightly to the sides of their respective captains, Hiyori cracking her knuckles, lacking the presence of her captain.

"Man," Shinji said as he settled himself in between Rose and Love, "We're goin' through captains quicker than toilet paper."

There were a few murmurs of agreement as Shinji continued, "It ain't been no more than a year since Rose got his promotion as the third squad captain and now this new guys' takin' over the twelfth. Hopefully, all this flux won't hurt the Gotei 13 none."

"That's just the way it is," Kyoraku said, adjusting his pink robes over his haori, "Change is inevitable. Instead of resisting it, you're better served just going with the flow."

Heads turned to Kyoraku, "I mean, the only remnants of the original guard from a century ago are the old man, Ukitake, and me."

"You're missing one," Kumiko spoke up, forcing herself to keep her eyes open.

"Hmm?"

"Captain Unohana as well," Ukitake supplied.

"Crap! How could I forget," Kyoraku cursed himself, curious looks on a few faces being sent his way. "Good thing senpai didn't hear that; wouldn't wanna get on her bad side. Anyways, like I was saying, the third division captain decided it was time to kick back and smell the roses and the twelfth division captain is getting promoted. The tenth division captain-"

Kumiko looked up then, "What about her?"

"Not you, dear, the one before you," Kyoraku smiled, "He met an untimely demise all those years ago. All in all, I'd say things are moving along quite nicely."

Kumiko glowered at Kyoraku and for added measure he added, "And what a gift our new tenth taicho of seven years has been!"

"A promotion?" a voice questioned.

Heads turned towards Shinji's lieutenant. A drop of sweat fell from his forehead and he raised his arms up in apology. Kumiko noticed Shinji's eyes narrow ever so slightly. He had told her from the very beginning that he sensed something fishy about the seemingly complacent Aizen. It was a little strange that a lieutenant would be so 'curious' about everything around him. Kumiko sighed, she wasn't as oblivious as Shinji made her out to be.

"My humble apologies," Aizen said. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just didn't think that getting an even higher promotion than captain was possible. Is she going to be given a seat in Chamber forty-six?"

"It's got nothing to do with central forty six," Kyoraku said, turning to move into his position in the line up. "She's been accepted into the zero division, otherwise known as the royal guard."

"R-royal guard..."

It was Kumiko's turn to narrow her eyes. She searched the lieutenant for signs of any real awe and wonderment, as would be expected, but Aizen's eyes looked more like he had just hit a snag in some hidden agenda. Her eyes briefly swung to meet Shinji's eyes.

'So she noticed it too,' Shinji said to himself. 'Gotta keep him close and at an arm's length away at the same time, then.'

In the midst of their analysis of Aizen, Genrei walked into the first division meeting hall alongside Captain Unohana , followed shortly by Byakuya. Kumiko couldn't help but watch him pass as discreetly as she could. When she saw him earlier that day, she couldn't help but feel like he was judging her for one reason or another. Her paranoia only grew when he walked past her without as much as a glance in her direction.

---

"_What's going to happen when you become all powerful and high ranking with all of those expectations looming over your shoulder?"_

"_You'll probably get there before I will."_

"_I think you're getting dumber each time I hit you."_

"_And you're getting uglier."_

"_Seriously though, what's going to happen when it comes to that point?"_

"_I don't think we'll have to worry about anything."_

"_I'd like to hear you promise me that."_

"_I promise you. I'll always be at your side."_

"_And when you find someone more interesting than me?"_

"_What gave you the idea that I thought you were interesting?"_

"_Baka."_

"_I told you. We won't have to worry about anything."_

"_I'm not pristine you know."_

"_Neither am I."_

"_I'm far worse than you are."_

"_Quiet. There's nothing any one could possibly say to make me change my mind. Like it or not, you're stuck with me."_

"_Who says I'll have you?"_

_They glared at each other for a few moments before they both laughed, the wind blowing past them, petals of sakura blossoms tickling at their cheeks._

_---_

"Yo," Kensei said, gathering everyone's attention. He pointed behind him at the doorway with his thumb, "Looks like the new guy finally decided to show up."

Kumiko's body stiffened a little before she looked around to check if anyone noticed the slight daze she had fallen into. She was really going to need a decent night's sleep over the next few weeks. The lack of rest was starting to get to her. Everyone's eyes went to the door as they all adjusted themselves in their spots to straighten their lines. The new guy walked into the room, looking slightly awkward, dirty blonde hair looking dishevelled and unwashed.

"Ehh?" he said, sweating from the nerves and slouching over slightly. "Looks like I'm the last one to show."

"This one..." Shinji said, eyeing the new guy with a little more than just a critical eye, "Looks like he's a few cans short of a six pack."

"It does appear that way..." Aizen said, something changing in the tone of his voice.

Yamamoto-Genryuusai entered shortly after the appearance of the man that the sotaicho referred to as Urahara Kisuke. He commenced the commemoration shortly afterwards, formally introducing the newly appointed captain of the twelfth division and welcoming him into the Gotei 13. Pleasantries were exchanged between the captains as they introduced themselves and their lieutenants. From a distance, Aizen spotted the tenth division taicho eyeing him carefully. He smiled at her widely feigning embarrassment at the knowledge of her scrutinizing him.

'No matter,' he thought to himself. 'She'll be far easier to deal with than anyone else.'

"If ya insist on being here, you could at least pay attention," Shinji whispered, his voice, however low, commanding as Yamomoto continued his introduction of Urahara.

Aizen faked a minute tremble and stuttered, "H-hai taicho! Gomen nasai."

---

Byakuya walked through Seireitei, his nobility evident in the powerful silence that surrounded him every step of the way. He tightened the insignia on his right arm as he continued his walk, Senbonzakura secured at his waist. His chin was held high, like it should always be, as he made his way to his goal destination.

'Tell me,' a melodic, distinctly female, voice sounded in Byakuya's mind, 'How is it that you always seem to have giddy hopefuls around each corner.'

'Is it really something that we need to concern ourselves with?' Byakuya replied, not wishing to converse with anyone, in his head or not. He kept his eyes set firmly ahead of him so as not to encourage some of the girls that were hovering about. Students from the academy, no doubt, he had thought to himself as his peripheral vision ensured that none of them were following him, the distinct uniform jumping out at him.

'Not in the least,' Senbonzakura replied airily. 'Their antics are a great way to pass time though. Why not humor one of them?'

'They don't interest me,' Byakuya said simply.

'You know Byakuya,' Senbonzakura said, 'you never seem interested in any of the girls. Perhaps it is one of the men that will capture your affections.'

The nobleman did his best to bite his tongue. Had he been anything like his younger self, there would've been no stopping the slew of vulgarities that would have spewed out of his mouth. Byakuya tightened the tekkou that he always wore on his arms as he continued to make his way towards the training grounds near the thirteenth division and Ukitake's home. He had grown accustomed to coming to those relatively secluded training grounds, making use of them solely because only those close to the thirteenth division taicho had the permission to do so.

With Ukitake being Byakuya's senpai, it wasn't hard to get permission, not that Byakuya really bothered anymore. Training at his family's estate was more like a performance than anything else and it was nice to have some peace and quiet while he honed his techniques. Each step Byakuya took brought him closer to the edge of the bowl like grounds, the sound of clashing metal reaching his ears and some heightened levels of reiatsu reaching his senses.

"Yer gonna have to try a lot harder than that if you wanna get anywhere," Byakuya heard the familiar voice of the fifth division taicho yelling.

"Shut up, dumbass!" came the bellow of who Byakuya guessed was the twelfth division fukutaicho. He had heard their squabbles enough times to recognize the high pitched voice of the very immature and vertically challenged girl.

Ukitake looked up from his seat at the edge of the higher ground, his long white hair released from its usual binds, when he felt a very familiar reiatsu nearing him. Byakuya took a few more steps and stopped at Ukitake's side, watching Shinji and Hiyori spar with each other.

"I haven't seen you here in a while, Byakuya," Ukitake said with his usual soft but unassailable voice.

"I wasn't expecting anyone to be here," Byakuya said to Ukitake.

"Hiyori just needed to let off some steam," Ukitake responded. "She's having a bit of difficulty adjusting to the changes in her division."

Byakuya watched the two continue their fight until he heard a whimper so quiet that, for a second, he thought he had imagined it. He looked down at his senpai, not having bothered to do so before hand, and saw Kumiko lying on the grass, her body curled slightly with her head resting on Ukitake's lap. Ukitake sat a hand on Kumiko's head and ran his hand over her hair in an attempt to soothe her. He noticed Byakuya peering down at her. For a split second, Ukitake thought he saw concern in his student's eyes but quickly brushed his thoughts aside and used the sleeve of his haori to wipe away a bit of the sweat that was forming on his other student's forehead.

"Shuhei," a whisper escaped Kumiko's lips.

Byakuya looked away, convincing himself that it was not any of concern at that he had no reason to care.

"She's fine," Ukitake said, knowing what was on Byakuya's mind. "She's hasn't had much sleep for the past few months. In between looking for a lieutenant, her paperwork, running her division and helping me teach some students from the academy, she's denied herself the rest she needs."

"Who's Shuhei?"Byakuya asked, ignoring everything else that Ukitake had just said. Why should he care if she exhausted herself doing things she didn't need to do.

"Why not ask her yourself when you get the chance?"

"Hn."

Ukitake shook his head, bringing his eyes back down from Byakuya to Kumiko. The unpleasant dreams seemed to have subsided, the taicho noted, when the girl's body relaxed and her fists unclenched themselves. A cloud of dust rose from the middle of the training grounds, Shinji jumping up through the clouds and landing lightly a few feet away from his spectators. Shinji sheathed his zanpakuto and patted at his haori to rid it of some of the dirt as he took a few steps towards them.

"Hey there, Kuchiki," Shinji greeted with his trademark grin.

Byakuya returned the greeting with a curt nod and a low, "Hirako Taicho."

Shinji crouched down next to Ukitake and examined the girl that had been lying there for a good hour or more, "Still asleep, huh?"

"I have a slight suspicion that she's using her work to distract herself from other things," Ukitake smiled lightly.

"A few jugs of sake and the words'll pour right outta her," Shinji said nonchalantly.

"Or you're just tryin' to get in her hakama, you pervert," came Hiyori's voice as she climbed out of the training grounds.

Shinji flicked Hiyori on the forehead, "Why would I go doin' that to my first love?" Shinji winked at Ukitake as Byakuya watched with just a slight raise in his brow, the joke not going unnoticed. "Shouldn't ya be helpin' yer captain adjust? Get outta here ya little brat."

Hiyori stuck her tongue out at Shinji before using shunpo to speed back to her division's barracks. Shinji put a knee down to the ground and slipped his hands under Kumiko's back and knees, picking her up with little trouble.

"She barely sleeps, but when she does, ain't no way yer gonna get her to wake up easy," Shinji laughed. "Should I take her back to her barracks or do I put her in your little lake side shack?"

"It's probably best to bring her to her quarters," Ukitake replied, ignoring the stab at his home. "That way I won't have to wake her up when it starts getting late."

"Makin' me do the grunt work, as usual," Shinji teased as he adjusted her in his arms, letting her head rest against the crook in his neck. He nodded at both Ukitake and Byakuya in farewell before mimicking Hiyori and using shunpo to reach his destination quickly. Ukitake picked up the cup of tea that he had been drinking before hand, motioning for Byakuya to go ahead and use the grounds now that Hiyori and Shinji were finished. Byakuya was walking towards the edge of the oval when Ukitake spoke suddenly.

"Why have you distanced yourself from Kumiko, Byakuya?" he asked. "You two used to be such good friends. Is it because she became a captain before you did?"

"Do you really think me to be so easily jealous, Ukitake-senpai?"

"No," Ukitake replied frankly, "But you haven't said anything to help me figure it out. You're both still the same people."

"And yet time does not stop," Byakuya said, "Our circumstances are different now, Ukitake-senpai."

Byakuya jumped off of the edge of the inverted dome and into the core of the grounds. His senpai continued to sip at his tea as Byakuya drew his zanpakuto. Ukitake felt the surge of reiatsu that flooded from the raven haired fukutaicho as he slipped the sword from its sheath. The captain was pleased to note that Byakuya was getting stronger by the day. With the level of reiatsu that Ukitake was sensing, he wondered briefly if Byakuya had achieved his bankai, after all, the strength resonating from the center of the grounds seemed to be at par with Kumiko's.

"Chire, Senbonzakura."

* * *

**[Chapter 3 Preview]**

_She knew he was judging her. She just never thought that it would be about that time in her life. A time that she thought she had sealed and buried away. There wasn't any more truth in the things that he said to her before. There was principle lodged in his eyes now; Principle that was pounded into him by the steel fist of aristocracy._

"_They say he's going to become the most powerful head that the Kuchiki Clan will ever see."_

"_Then I wish him all the best," she said, watching the tall figure walk away. She turned to the bespectacled man beside her, "I may just take you up on that offer after all, Sousuke."_

**[End]**

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**Please let me know what you think. **

**-theholysee  
**


	3. Of Broken Promises

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I still have no claim over any of Tite Kubo's wonderful world of Bleach. That being said, I will content myself with watching re-runs and staring at my favorite characters.

**Note:** I'd like to give a big thank you to **Rukia23** who, apart from being my beta-reader, has left me a review to uplift my spirits. A similar thanks goes out to **I'llxBexUrXEnigma2010** for taking the time to review the last chapter and to **Anihana** who left my favorite review so far. Last but not the least, thank you to **Xx-Away-From-The-Crowd-xX**, **I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010**, **Anihana**, and **Melodicxstar** for either adding me to their alerts list or favorite authors list.

**Recommended Songs:** _Velonica_ by Aqua Timez and _Salamander_ by Ellegarden

* * *

**Chapter Three  
**_**Of Broken Promises**_

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General Yamamoto sat behind his desk with his hands resting neatly atop the wooden surface. He was as imperturbable as ever, more or less resembling an immovable pivot as he waited for those he had sent for to arrive. Kumiko sat diagonal to the sotaicho, fidgeting in her seat and cursing both the fact that she seemed to be the only one that bothered to be punctual today and her inability to hold an expression befitting of a captain when she was around the Commander-General. It wasn't that Kumiko didn't like Yamamoto, rather she didn't especially enjoy being in his company alone, managing to look like a guilty child sent to the prefect's office more than a high ranking Shinigami meeting with her superior. Despite the light-hearted stories that Juushiro and Shunsui had shared with Kumiko in the past, she found herself unable to be as relaxed with the sotaicho as the two.

"Just do as I do, Kumiko-san," Shunsui had said to her once, "and call him Yama-jii."

Kumiko ran through a milieu of possible situations and conversation starters in her head, sinking lower into her seat with slight embarrassment when Yamamoto-sotaicho cast a brief questioning look her way. The Jyuubantai-taicho's face lost even more color when she imagined herself asking the sotaicho about the time that he fell asleep in the middle of a meeting like Shunsui had suggested. Both Shinji and Kensei had openly teased Kumiko about never being able to hold a straight face with the sotaicho. The green eyed girl had always blamed it on the trauma of her examinations. If it was at all possible, Kumiko sank even lower in her seat at the memory.

"Hisashi-taicho," General Yamamoto said, his voice at a deadpan, "I'm not going to bite you. You may relax a little."

The addressed captain quickly straightened in her seat, a hand rubbing embarrassingly at the back of her head while her awkward laughter was matched with an awkward smile, "Gomen ne, Yamamoto-sotaicho. I don't think I ever got over my intimidation from the taicho examinations."

"You've been a captain for several years now, Hisashi-taicho," Yamamoto's features seemed to have softened a little in his amusement. "Perhaps it is time to get passed that intimidation. You're not a student anymore, nor is there a need for me to reprimand you like I used to...at least I hope not."

Kumiko continued to rub at her head when there were a few solid knocks on the office doors. Yamamoto motioned for Sasakibe-fukutaicho to open the doors with a fluid flick of his hand.

"Greetin's sotaicho," came the somewhat abrasive voice of Shinji as he strolled into the office. "What can this handsome captain do for ya?"

"Pushing the envelope of this," Yamamoto looked to be racking his brain for the word, "movement these humans call being 'fashionably late' like always, Hirako-taicho."

A wide grin spread on Shinji's narrow face as he held his hands up to his side. He'd been a captain long enough to know well what he could and couldn't get away with when it came to Yamamoto-sama. Kumiko glared at Shinji from under her bangs as if to communicate to her friend just how long she had been subjected to the nerve-racking silence of the sotaicho's company. The blonde chose to ignore the rather piercing gaze sent his way, waiting for Yamomoto to signal to him before he took his seat next to his former fukutaicho.

"What'cha need us for, Yama-sotaicho?" Shinji rephrased his previous question, resting his elbow on the arm of his chair and then his cheek on his hand.

"Am I right to assume that you both pay full attention at each captain's meetings that I have held?" the General questioned the two of his captains.

"Hai, Yamamoto-sotaicho," Kumiko replied before Shinji could say something stupid. She remembered vividly a number of occasions, when she still served as the gobaintai fukutaicho, where in Shinji would instruct her to hide in the bushes outside the first division meeting hall and listen for him while he thought of less important things. It was the same thing with the reports and news magazines that the ninth division would send out.

"Good," their superior said, "Then you still remember the name Komamura Sajin."

"He's that guy you saved and sent to the Academy, ain't he Yama-sama?" Shinji asked nonchalantly.

"Yes," came Yamamoto's answer. "He is set to graduate from the Academy in a few weeks. Hirako-taicho, tomorrow, I would like for you to check on his progress. Hisashi-taicho, I would like for you to accompany Shinji and check on Tosen Kaname. He too will be graduating soon. I assure you both, where you find one, you will undoubtedly find the other."

"Understood, Yamamoto-sotaicho," Kumiko said as both she and Shinji stood, bowing quickly before they were dismissed.

As soon the doors to the sotaicho's office closed behind them, Kumiko let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the doors. Shinji watched her with a wide grin, noting with amusement that the girl was still exaggeratedly intimidated by the Commander-General. Aizen, who had been instructed by his captain to wait outside the office, walked over to the two and masked a smirk with a kind smile.

"Daijoubu Hisashi-taicho?" Aizen asked, bending down to look into Kumiko's eyes.

Kumiko, straightened up, "Eh? Hai. Arigato Sousuke-san."

Aizen noticed that the hostility that the woman had been directing at him for the past week had died down quite nicely. He laughed inwardly as he recalled the efforts he made to become the sweet and lovable Sousuke Aizen that people believed him to be. For the most part at least, Aizen had reminded himself. His captain was still keeping him at an arm's length away. It was no matter though; it would come in handy later on.

"Eh?" Shinji mimicked, "You're too old to be talkin' like that, Kumiko."

"What are you talking about?" Kumiko retorted, "You've got a good two hundred years on me, baka."

Shinji began to make his way out of the first division and towards a previously decided destination, Kumiko hot on his trail, "That may be the case, but I have the advantage of being quite a handsome and successful man. You, my dear Kumiko, could use some help with the way your present yourself. Perhaps a quick visit with Rangiku-san will help, ne?"

"Iei! There's nothing wrong with the way I look," Kumiko cried out, "Isn't that right, Sousuke-san?"

"Kumiko-taicho presents herself quite nicely," Aizen supplied, smiling as he shrugged his shoulders. "The man that wins her heart will be very lucky."

"Chi, chi," Shinji brushed off the support from his lieutenant aside, "Sousuke isn't as hip as I am. He doesn't even know what jazz is."

"Maybe because he spends most of his time doing the work that you neglect," Kumiko said matter-of-factly, "rather than keeping up with human trends."

The scenery around them had changed from the stark white walls of the first division and to the pleasant fauna that surrounded the current path they had taken. As was normal when anyone was with Shinji, the bickering continued until Aizen excused himself politely from the two captains, explaining that he had some paperwork to finish up. Shinji barely turned to acknowledge that Aizen was departing from their trail when they passed the paths leading to the fifth division.

"Shunsui said that Juushiro just recovered from another one of his bad days," Shinji started.

Kumiko nodded her head, "Yeah, I dropped by Juushiro-senpai's home last week to keep him some company. Of course he verbally shoved me out of the door as soon as he had been supplied with an excuse to do so."

"I can understand why," Shinji said, placing himself in the sickly taicho's shoes. "It must be a bit degrading to have people think you incapable of handling yourself. Doting on him won't help him any."

"I admit that it's a bit hard not to worry when I see him coughing up such large amounts of blood," Kumiko said, hopping over three cobble stones, "But I don't want to dote on him. I just enjoy spending time with him. He is my senpai after all."

"He always did say that you were like a sponge," Shinji said. "Suckin' up all the things he taught you instantly."

Kumiko laughed, "He does have a rather profuse amount of influence over me. Even my zanpakuto's release takes a similar form to Juushiro-senpai's shikai."

'Iei, it was just a coincidence Miko-dono,' a pair of airy voices whispered in Kumiko's head. 'Kashi-kami takes no one's shape but their own.'

Kumiko noticed that their walk had taken them past the eighth division. She was expecting to follow Shinji to Shunsui's office to watch them indulge in some sake as was normal at this time of day. Shinji still walked a few paces in front of her, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his hakama.

"Where are we going, Shinji?" Kumiko asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I thought I'd stop by the thirteenth division to see how Juushiro is doing," Shinji replied. "You comin'?"

"Hai."

- - -

Kuchiki Genrei walked silently down the pathway from the Kuchiki mansion to the gardens as he enjoyed a leisurely stroll. He had finished the small amount of paper work left and left earlier than he had anticipated and opted to spend the remainder of his day at his family's manor rather than the division lodgings. Unohana-taicho had, after all, told him that she would prefer that he rest in a more relaxed environment than the lodgings. The familiar reiatsu of his grandson made its presence known as the current Kuchiki Clan head continued his walk deeper into the core of the gardens.

The shape of Byakuya's body materialized through the foliage and Genrei found a small smile creeping onto his chiselled features. He clasped his hands behind his back as he stopped walking, watching his future successor swing his zanpakuto in different positions as he trained in seclusion. He would make a fine captain one day.

"You're working hard on your day off, Byakuya," Genrei called out.

The rokubantai fukutaicho discontinued his strict exercises, straightening out his body only to bow in greeting to his grandfather and captain as he wiped the sweat off of his chin with one hand, Senbonzakura clasped tightly in the other. Genrei could see the sweat that covered the arms, neck and face of his grandson, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"So you've returned to the mansion, ojii-sama," Byakya stated, his tone slightly monotonous as he eyed his grandfather, "You're going to rest here today instead of the lodgings?"

"There wasn't much work left to do," Genrei answered, "Once in a while I would like to retire to my own bed. I'm surprised to see you training here rather than at Ukitake-taicho's."

"There weren't any bothersome people today. I decided to take advantage of the silence."

"I see," Genrei said, not moving from his previous position. "Why don't you leave your training there for the day. There's someone here to see you."

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched, "Someone to see-"

A gust of wind rushed past Byakuya, a faint blur within it as it settled next to Genrei. Byakuya's eyes narrowed at the skinny frame of his other, less favourable, senpai as she grinned widely at him, her fists resting on her hips. It didn't matter much to Byakuya that the woman had helped him develop his shunpo, she was irritating and full of herself, something that the young Kuchiki had always found intolerable.

"So it's you, devil cat."

Shihoin Yoruichi's grin grew as she felt the annoyance in her former pupil rise exponentially at her presence and ever growing smile, "Well that's some way to greet me, little Byakuya, and after I came all this way just to see you."

Yoruichi snorted a little at the irony of the way she addressed Byakuya. He was far from the little boy that she used to –as she would say- impart her wisdom and skill upon. The arms that were displayed by the rolled up sleeves of Byakuya's kosode had grown from the scrawny twigs that they used to be into well-defined and muscular arms. His face was far more distinct as well, possessing the same angular and prominent features that he had no doubt inherited from his grandfather. He seemed to be much more calm now too, caging the rash attitude that he always attacked Yoruichi with when she teased him a little too much. There was a twitch at Byakuya's temple, _maybe the attitude hasn't been properly locked away just yet_.

Byakuya's irritation grew, much to his discontent. Yoruichi always had a way of pushing him over his limits, but he was adamant, this time, in his resolve to suppress the temper that he recently learned to control. His grandfather was always telling him that he wondered when Byakuya would discard his rash nature and learn to keep his temper at bay. He had been successful thus far.

"I don't have time to waste on you," was the only reply that Byakuya offered to Yoruichi's silent taunts.

"Is that so?"

Slender fingers pulled at the binds that kept Byakuya's hair back neatly. It was an old trick of Yoruichi's that had previously worked all the time in getting Byakuya to indulge in her teasing and good natured cajoling. Byakuya's hair fell from its previous position high at the back of his head, the hand that grasped his zanpakuto tightening around the sword's hilt. An eyebrow rose high into Yoruichi's bangs as she examined the boy –no, man- that stood before her, folding her arms in front of her.

"Hmm," Yoruichi thought aloud, "You really are maturing, aren't you, Byakuya-kun?"

"I will be the head of the Kuchiki clan soon enough," Byakuya said simply, "It is my duty to my family to act the part."

"If the head of the Kuchiki clan could have his hair tie stolen so easily by a girl at play," Yoruichi began, twirling the aforementioned hair tie between her fingers as she shunpoed her way to the top of the mansion's roof, "Then I worry for the future of the Kuchiki clan."

"Don't move an inch, Shihoin Yoruichi, I'm going to-"

"Kuchiki Byakuya!" Yoruichi looked back at him as she prepared to initiate their little game, "You can't get me!"

A second later, Yoruichi's form was gone, flashing quickly away from Byakuya. The challenge in Yoruichi's voice had not escaped Byakuya's notice. If this was her way of testing how much he had grown in strength and skill since their final lesson, then so be it.

"I see, it seems you wish to call my wrath upon yourself," Byakuya murmured lowly, "Very well. I shall make you see the error of your ways, for my own shunpo is far superior to the likes of you."

Genrei had barely turned to walk back into the mansion when Byakuya disappeared from his spot in the garden and after Yoruichi. The white scarf that Genrei wore around his neck fluttered a little at the sudden gust of wind that had been the product of Byakuya's launching. He chuckled to himself. Even if he was the one that had so wished that Byakuya would lose the rash mind-set, it was nice to see a bit of Byakuya's more youthful self once in a while, especially with the cold and calculating regality that his grandson had begun to carry himself with. Genrei heard a crash in the neighbouring areas and a few choice profanities and grimaced.

"Dear me," Genrei chortled, "Maybe I didn't miss that old attitude as much as I thought. Now then, perhaps some tea."

Genrei turned to make his way back to the manor when a sudden sweltering sting in his chest forced him to his knees. His hand flew to his chest as he forced himself to steady his laboured breaths. A moment later, the pain left his chest and Genrei forced himself up off of the ground and onto wobbly legs. There was a melancholy smile on Genrei's lips as he gathered his dignity and forced himself to walk back to the mansion without inclination to the previous pain he had suffered, making a mental note to have one of the servants request the fourth division taicho's presence.

---

It had been a good twenty minutes since Juushiro left his guests in his home to fetch, what his subordinate had said was, an extremely drunken Shunsui. Juushiro left with a sigh and smile, growing used to being Shunsui's care taker on nights such as this. It was all the white haired captain could do to repay his closest friend for all the nights that he sat with Juushiro during his frail days. Five minutes later, Aizen had arrived at the home to inform Shinji that there were a few preparations that the sotaicho had requested the fifth division captain to make in light of a new recruit. With both of her original companions in other places, Kumiko was left sitting in the company of Aizen Sousuke as they both sipped at the warm green tea that Juushiro had earlier prepared.

The sun was setting at this time, Kumiko noticed as her gaze fell to the window in the undersized living room.

"Are you alright, Kumiko-sama?"

Kumiko turned her gaze to the kind faced fukutaicho that sat in front of her, "Sousuke-san, there is no need to use that honorific with me, ne? I would much prefer that you call me Kumiko-san or Kumiko-taicho if it makes you feel any less awkward."

"Hai, Kumiko-taicho," Sousuke smiled warmly. "Your thoughts seem to have lingered elsewhere. Maybe you should get out a little. Perhaps have a little drink with me at that tavern that our fellow Shinigami seem to love so much. My treat, taicho."

"That's very kind of you Sousuke-san," Kumiko replied to the man's offer, "Maybe another time though. I have a feeling that Juushiro-senpai will need some help when he returns with Shunsui-taicho."

"Hai. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I feel the need to answer the call of nature. I'll be right back, ne, Kumiko-taicho?" Aizen Sousuke said as he stepped out of the quaint home.

Sousuke smiled wickedly when he closed the shoji door shut behind him, slowly masking his reiatsu as a precaution and slipping into the foliage near the lake side home of the thirteenth division taicho. Had his hair not shadowed his eyes, one might have been able to see an unmistakably sinister glint in the normally kind brown eyes of the fukutaicho. As he hid himself well within the dark of the trees, he felt a certain reiatsu approach the area. His smile widened, sure that things wouldn't take very long to play out.

"That was fast, Sousuke-san," Kumiko chuckled as she turned her attention to the opening door.

She set her tea cup down when her eyes met an unexpected set of blue ones. Byakuya looked back at Kumiko with indifference. He should have known that she would be there, remembering how fond she was of spending time with their senpai. Byakuya briefly allowed his eyes to roam over his past friend's features. Her hair had been let down from its usual high ponytail, instead resting at the side of her shoulder in a loose braid, her eyes still as green as before. Nothing special, Byakuya concluded like he did a few years ago. Kumiko drew her haori tightly around her, growing uncomfortable in the scrutinizing gaze of Byakuya.

_Baka. You're his superior. Stop acting like such a little girl_. "Is there anything I can help you with, Kuchiki-fukutaicho?"

"I was looking for Ukitake-senpai," Byakuya answered, the steely expression on his face never leaving him, "Is he here?"

"He went to get Shunsui-taicho from the pub. He should be back shortly if you would like to wait."

"Iei. Arigato, Hisashi-taicho."

Kumiko couldn't help but frown as Byakuya turned his back on her and began his exit from the house. The hands that she rested on her lap clenched into tight fists as she kept her eyes down. This was no way for a captain to be acting towards a Shinigami of inferior rank and yet she couldn't help but feel lowly compared to Byakuya. She always felt that way back when they were friends, even when he insisted that they were equals. Apparently, he no longer felt the same way. Every time she heard him address her, it always seemed that the 'taicho' was forced.

"Byakuya," Kumiko heard herself call out suddenly.

The man halted, his body rigid. There was no honorific or fukutaicho to follow Kumiko's call to him. It was the way she used to address him and vice versa; with familiarity and disregard for the difference in their status. Kumiko could hear her heart beating fast, the pulses of blood rushing to her ears and cheeks as she gathered the courage to ask her next question. She stood from her seat on one of the many cushions littered across the floor.

"Is there something you wish to say, Hisashi-taicho," Byakuya asked, still not turning to look at the girl.

"What happened to us?" Kumiko asked, her voice soft and almost scared. "We used to be such good friends, Byakuya. We were almost inseparable, ne? Remember when Kuchiki-sama used to scold us both for being so temperamental? I feel as if you do not wish to be around me anymore, like I have done something to wrong you. Is it because of my captaincy? If I knew you'd be upset about it, I never would have accepted, you know? You were stronger than me. I knew you'd been able to call your bankai. It's funny too you know, I thought back then that maybe we had some hope for a-"

"Stop talking, Kumiko."

Kumiko always thought that when Byakuya was finally able to address her as he used to it would be a sign that things would be back to normal in time. There was no comfort behind the way Byakuya said her name though, as if he forced himself to spit it out to get her to cease her rambling. The hope of working things out with her old friend seemed to be dying at this point.

'Miko-dono,' a pair of voices whispered in Kumiko's ear. 'You must not let this man treat you with such disrespect.'

Kumiko ignored the voice of her zanpakuto.

"I was happy for you when you became a captain. You knew very well that I wanted to serve no division other than the sixth. Don't insinuate that I was jealous, it is not your place nor are you anywhere near correct on that matter."

"Then why?"

"Did you really think that I, a future successor of the Kuchiki clan, would be allowed to continue a friendship with a woman that used to be a whore? Not only are you from the Rukongai, but you let men take you countless times. If you had found yourself a more decent job then perhaps things would be different, Kumiko, but I cannot and will not vouch for nor socially associate myself with someone so impure."

A spasm of panic attacked Kumiko as Byakuya turned his head ever so slightly to cast a sidelong glance at her. She worked hard to rid herself of the prejudices that surrounded her all throughout her three years at the Academy. With the help of Shinji and Juushiro, Kumiko was sure that she was finally able to fully move on from that time in her life. She stared hard at an inconsequential spot on the wooden floor, her heart hardening as her fists clenched even tighter, coming closer and closer to breaking the skin of her palms.

"That's not who I am anymore, Byakuya."

"It matters not. I thought I had made it clear before when I avoided your company, but it seems that I have not. I do not wish to be your friend any longer. My position in my clan will not permit it, nor will I. From now on, the only relationship that we are to have is strictly professional."

"Did you lie then, Byakuya? When you said that we had nothing to worry about? You used to say that the rules didn't make sense to you, that they were stupid."

"I believe you used past-tense in your sentence, Hisashi-_taicho_, things have changed."

"Kumiko-taicho," came the calm but cheerful voice of Aizen Sousuke. "Nani? Ore..konichiwa, Kuchiki-fukutaicho."

If only Sousuke was able to smile at the damaged taicho standing stock still in the middle of the room. He resisted the urge to do so, opting instead to feign a look of worry on his faultless features. Byakuya walked away from the house. This was not the conversation that he envisioned himself having this evening. Instead of being able to seek advice from his senpai, he was finalizing a decision to end a friendship. It didn't matter that the friendship had been one he thought would last forever. The night that the elders forbade him anymore contact with Kumiko had changed things for the both of them.

Kumiko couldn't remember feeling dirtier, more insignificant nor betrayed than she did at that moment. She inched her way towards the still open shoji door, Sousuke still watching Byakuya walk away with bewilderment and worry. A few years back, Kumiko told a few people she was closest to that she didn't like crying and would avoid the act at all costs. She held true to her word despite the fact that she knew Byakuya was judging her in a way that made Kumiko want to run to him and yell at him

Ultimately, Kumiko knew that a time would come where Byakuya would judge her. She just never thought that it would be about that time in her life. A time that she had sealed and buried away. There wasn't any more truth in the things that he said to her before. There was principle –no matter how ridiculous the man used to think it- lodged in his eyes now; principle that pounded into him by the steel fist of aristocracy.

"They say that he's going to become the most powerful head that the Kuchiki clan will ever see."

Kumiko's eyes hardened as she decided that there was no longer any use in trying to reason with herself and hope that it was all just a joke. Byakuya had his resolve, now she had to form hers.

"Then I wish him all the best," Kumiko replied to Sousuke's statement as she watched the tall figure walk away. She turned to the bespectacled man beside her, an odd sense of weariness settling on her young shoulders, "I may just take you up on that offer after all, Sousuke-san. If it still stands, I mean."

"Of course, Kumiko-taicho."

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**[Chapter Four Preview]**

"I haven't once taken a man to my bed since then," she said breathlessly, the sake was beginning to take its full effect as her knees buckled slightly under her. His arms caught her before she fell to the ground, picking her up and carrying her nearly incapacitated body the remainder of the walk to her quarters.

"I've always wondered what you tasted like."

She looked up into the brown eyes that seemed so sincere, a little surprised to hear such a bold statement from the mouth of a normally passive man. It was then that he began to strike her as handsome, sweet and near irresistible, the feel of his muscular arms cradling her to his equally muscular chest. She looked up into his eyes as he set her down, reaching the door to her private quarters. She opened the door behind her, taking a few steps backwards into the dark room. She loosened the obi of her hakama and slipped her haori off her shoulders, eyes never leaving his.

"Then taste me."

**[End of Preview]**

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I'm quite happy with this chapter. I hope you guys are too. As always, please let me know what you think.


	4. He Strikes

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer:** It really is a damn shame that I still own nothing of Bleach, not even a singular strand of hair off of Byakuya's head. [Sighs]

**Note:** Big thank you to **Anihana** for helping ensure me my sanity. She helped me reassure myself that reviews are not everything and that I am doing this because I love writing and I love Bleach. *Sighs* Feels good to stop worrying so much now.

Thank you also to **Nayfay** – my anonymous reviewer – I hope you see this new chapter and enjoy it as well. To **I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010**, yes, Byakuya is a big, big jerk. (Laughs). Hopefully this chapter will satisfy and please don't worry. Aizen is all a part of the plot (Haha).

As usual, thank you to my wonderful beta-reader **Rukia23** for agreeing to go through my work to catch the mistakes and for putting up with my incessant messaging and panic attacks. Last but not the least, thank you to the following people for adding the story to their alerts list: **trust-is-false**, **Iridessa.**

**Song Recommendations: **_Addicted_ by **Ellegarden**. _Asterisk_ (The piano version.) by **Orange** **Range**.

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**Chapter Four  
**_**He Strikes**_

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Despite the events that had taken place earlier that evening, Kumiko was surprised to say that she was enjoying herself in the company of the soft-spoken intellectual that was sitting across from her. They sat in an intimate corner of the pub, going through their third jug of sake, as they spoke of things that Kumiko had never really conversed about before. She could feel the warmth that the sake left on her cheeks, thinking that she had perhaps had a little too much already. She rested her head on the palm of her hand as she watched Sousuke talk about one random thing to the next, never failing to surprise and impress her with the infinite amount of knowledge that he seemed to possess.

"Hiyori-fukutaicho, I will admit, scares me from time to time," Sousuke chuckled. "I'm quite pleased with myself for never getting on the more unfortunate side to her personality."

"She just takes a little getting used to," Kumiko laughed. "I promise you, she isn't that bad once you get to know her a little."

Sousuke gave the captain a doubtful look.

"Okay," Kumiko said, "A lot."

"It startles me sometimes, Kumiko-taicho, how you let her get away with being so disrespectful towards you all."

"I really think that it's just the way she deals with things," Kumiko said thoughtfully. "Hiyori's been through her share of lows and her seeming lack of respect is her way of keeping people at an arm's length."

"Like she thinks that if she doesn't let herself get too attached to people," Sousuke finished, "Losing them won't be as hard."

Kumiko looked up into Sousuke's eyes, an odd feeling creeping up from the pit of her stomach, "Exactly."

Sousuke poured them both another cup of sake, sipping at his own as Kumiko brought the cup to her lips. A stray lock of hair fell into the woman's face. She saw the fukutaicho's hand leave his cup and hesitantly neared her face. It was odd, then, for her to feel Sousuke tuck the rebellious few strands of hair behind her ear, his fingers trailing down to her cheek and lingering there a few moments longer than Kumiko anticipated. Sousuke's eyes blinked behind the frames of his spectacles before he snatched his hand back and looked away.

"Daijoubu, Sousuke-san?"

"Hai," Sousuke replied. "It just saddened me to see you so hurt earlier this evening."

Kumiko wasn't sure if it was the sake or embarrassment that was making her feel so hot, "So you heard that, did you?"

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation," Sousuke lied, "But the things that Byukaya-fukutaicho said to you were inappropriate. It was not his place to treat you as such. You are a taicho. He is not."

"He's not a taicho only because he doesn't want to be anywhere other than the sixth division."

"Even so-!"

The woman's head lifted in slight surprise at the force behind Sousuke's voice. He seemed genuinely upset with the way Kumiko was treated earlier. She smiled at Sousuke and patted the back of the hand that rested on the table. There was a tinge of pink on Sousuke's cheeks and Kumiko confirmed her own suspicion that they had both ingested too much of the sometimes troublesome substance. The jyubantai taicho downed the remaining sake left in her cup.

"It's not his fault," Kumiko said softly, surprised she was defending the younger Kuchiki. "It is his lineage speaking. Or at least, I hope it is."

"That doesn't give him the right to speak to you the way he did," Sousuke said again. "You said yourself that the person he was referring to no longer existed. I would not treat you that way, taicho, even if I was a noble."

"That's very sweet of you, Sousuke-san," Kumiko said, "But please, let's not trouble ourselves with such events anymore."

"Kumiko-taicho?"

"Hm?" Kumiko said, leaning back against the wall behind her, her eyes closing a little as she basked in the wonderful numbness that sake could provide. She was starting to understand why Shunsui enjoyed the drink so much.

"If it is alright, I would like to know," Sousuke said. "I would like to know what it was like for you. Before you came to the Sereitei."

A singular lime green eye peeked at Sousuke lazily to which Sousuke replied to with shame, "Gomen nasai, Kumiko-taicho, I was too forward."

"Do you really want to know?"

"I would like to share your pain."

Kumiko wasn't certain why she felt compelled to tell the fifth division fukutaicho her story. All throughout her time at the Soul Society, she had only relayed the story once as the idea of locking the memory away seemed crucial to her ability to move on with her life. Her brows furrowed together and she set her hands on the table in front of her, reaching for the sake and pouring herself another cup full. She took the cup with both hands and sipped the dry liquid slowly, her eyes closing as she did so.

"It happened eleven years ago," Kumiko began.

---

_The long dark alleys of the seventy-ninth Rukongai district were littered with the souls of many who had chosen to take an unfortunate path during their lives in the material world. Behind a small tavern, a barely clothed body stepped into the foul smelling streets and eased her way through the many people, her bare feet sinking slightly into the mud left by the recent rain. _

_Quick and light footsteps would have caught up to her without her noticing had it not been for the faint popping noise that the steps made as feet plied away from determined mud. She turned her head slightly to see a young boy with unruly black hair running up to her and grabbing a hold of one of her legs. _

"_Shuhei," the girl's soft voice whispered, "I thought I told you to stay inside until I got back."_

_The boy's grip tightened, "You don't have to go, Miko-san. I'm not hungry anymore, I promise. You don't have to go."_

"_Liar," she said with a light laugh, lowering herself to hug the boy and ruffle his already dishevelled hair. "I could hear your stomach grumbling from the Zaraki district."_

"_I could hear yours too you know!" the young Shuhei cried indignantly, forgetting the reason behind his earlier actions. "Your stomach is even louder than mine!" _

_A few strands of purple hair fell from the cloth that she used to keep her hair away from her face. She tucked them back behind her ear before standing up again. "See? That's exactly why I have to go. How are we going to eat and become powerful Shinigami if we don't have any food on our table, huh?"_

"_We can find a different way," Shuhei cried back, grabbing onto her again. "We can just go somewhere else. We don't even have to become Shinigami anymore!"_

"_If only things were that simple," she said softly before kissing Shuhei's brow and patting him on the shoulder. "Now go on back inside. I still have a little bit of those sweets underneath my pillow. Why don't you go get them and hand them out to the others to enjoy while you wait for me to come home?"_

_Shuuhei stared up at the girl who would have been nineteen if they were still living in the real world. His brows furrowed deeply as she walked away from him. A few feet behind him, he could hear the whispers of all the other orphans that were staying under her roof; all the orphans who, due to an unnatural hunger amongst the inhabitants of Soul Society, she fed without question._

"_Things will get better, Miko-san!" Shuhei yelled after his guardian, taking a few steps forward, his balled fist punching into the air. "Then we'll be the ones taking care of you!"_

_The girl raised her hand in the air, a 'thumbs up' finding its way into Shuhei's line of vision before the hand waved. She continued her walk through the second to worst district in Soul Society before spotting a relatively large building. With a small sigh of indifference, she took her time making her way to the building. _

"_You're late."_

_She looked_ _up and was greeted by a tall scantily clad woman with long brown hair. The woman's bust threatened to burst from the ragged kimono she wore, a jug of sake in one hand and a small cup in the other._

"_What's it to you, Minari?"_

_Minari sighed, "You're always so touchy, you know that? Here have some sake."_

_Minari poured a little bit of the liquor into the cup before handing the jug of the liquid to her friend. Green eyes scanned their surroundings as she took a sizable swig from the vessel. She wiped at her lips before letting her cloak fall to the ground and perching herself onto the porch's railing. _

"_Sometimes I wonder how you got into this line of work," Minari said, rummaging around her belongings for another bottle of sake. _

"_What other work is there here? Besides, I have mouths to feed."_

"_They're not even your kids."_

"_What does that matter?"_

"_And we don't go hungry."_

"_Then why are you here? Can't get any on your own?"_

"_You really are a pain in the ass," Minari retorted, resting her hands on her hips. "Not that it's in any way related to what we're talking about, but this is the only way I'll ever save up enough to get out of this lousy district."_

"_It's related in every way," full pale lips muttered, "You're working for a better future. So am I. You might not get hungry, but I assure you, there are some that do. Food here is a luxury for most, not a necessity like it used to be. An expensive, rare and often times horded luxury. What makes it worse is that the people who horde_ _it because of greed, let the ones that actually need it to survive dig through garbage for a few pieces of fish that was left on its bones."_

_There was a creak in the old rickety door as an aged man stepped out, the wrinkles on his face giving him a perpetual look of anger. He had been running this place since before either of the two girls got here. There were twenty of them in total. The others were either working already or had gone home. He beckoned to the shorter of the two girls. _

"_I promised those kids that they'd never have to dig through another rubbish bin ever again."_

"_Let's go," the man said, "You've got a visitor."_

_Minari watched her friend go with a bit of frown on her face. The girl was either the most imbalanced person she had ever met, or one of the most selfless._

_She tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ears before walking into the building after the man. Life would have been so much simpler if those kids and herself didn't get hungry like the others. Food was a luxury here. An overpriced and rare one, like all luxuries were, which is exactly why most of the men in the sixtieth district and onwards didn't bother to trouble themselves with the thought of a meal. _

_The old man led her past a few doors before finally stopping at one and pushing her none too lightly into the room before shutting the door and locking it for good measure. _

"_Thirty minutes," the man rasped from the other side of the door before the sound of his footsteps disappeared. _

"_Hisashi, huh?" a man said with a slight smirk. "Heard you were pretty. Gotta say though, I don't see anything that special from where I'm standin'."_

_He took slow and deliberate steps forward, grabbing a fistful of soft purple hair and forcing her head backwards. _

"_Those eyes are somethin' though," the man said, his face less than two inches from hers. _

_He smelled unpleasant, to say the very least, and his face was far from easy on the eyes. Not that her opinion mattered to him though. His grimy lips met the skin on her neck, biting at it viciously, not caring if he was too rough with her of not. His hands roamed her body, grabbing here and there, squeezing hard at some other place. Bright green eyes stared up at the rickety ceiling, the indifference that settled there earlier still unwavering. _

_It was true that when most people come to Soul Society, many of their needs dissipate. Unfortunately, a man's lust wasn't one of them. _

_True to his word, the house keeper came back thirty minutes later; just in time to see the man exit the room and tighten the strings of his shorts. The house keeper peered into the room and watched as the girl he called Hisashi sat up, clinging the sheets to her chest, a sizable scratch on the length of her neck. Her face didn't show any change in emotion since he had met her outside her forty minutes earlier. _

"_We paid you in kind this time," he said. "It's downstairs."_

_She pulled her clothes back on and tied her hair up, leaving the room without a word. It was a few minutes later that she was on her way home, a small sack full of food held tightly in the grasp of her hands. The faint smell of something burning wafted up to her nostrils. Her eyes narrowed as she saw people scurrying about in a frenzy a few meters away from her. _

_Her steps fell a little bit faster now, when she saw the orange flames near her home. She shifted her arms around the sack slightly to strengthen her grip on it. _

"_Miko-san!" she heard a familiar voice cry from a distance. _

_A few apples rolled out of the sack and onto the filthy ground, forgotten in the grime as she broke off __into a run towards the flames._

---

Kumiko didn't shed a single tear as she told and finished her story. Sousuke looked at her with sympathy, not saying anything as the taicho fell silent, her fingers rolled into a tight fist as she remembered the loss she suffered that night. Kumiko relaxed her body. She had let go of it all. The only important thing now was that she had fulfilled the promise she made in front of five little graves she dug with her own hands to become a captain of the Gotei 13. She frowned slightly, remembering how she had failed to recover one body from the fire. A part of her had hoped back then that the boy, Shuhei, had made it out of the fire alive. But her hopes died after she spent the following year searching for Hisagi Shuhei.

"It was Kuchiki Genrei that found me in the middle of a forest near the Sereitei," Kumiko said, remembering the first time she saw the kind man. "He had his division take me to Unohana-taicho, knowing that there was little anyone in the Rukongai could do to save me then. I was starved and the little spirit energy I had was slowly leaving me. Of course, I didn't see Genrei-sama again until I had recovered and somehow managed to pass the entrance exams to the Shinigami Academy. If he remembered me at that time, then he didn't show it."

"What happened after that?"

"I asked Unohana-taicho if there was any way for me to cleanse myself of everything," Kumiko recalled, feeling the need to have another cup of sake, "She held a cleansing ceremony for me. She couldn't restore my virginity, I knew that, but she could make my spirit pure again. I jumped at the offer of course. There is no way to express how dirty I felt. I saw it as my salvation."

"It's getting late, Kumiko-taicho," Sousuke said, looking around to find the tavern nearly empty, most of its previous customers having already chosen to retire for the night. "Let's go, ne? I can help you get back to your division."

Kumiko nodded and used the support of the wall to steady herself as she stood. She took the hand that Sousuke offered her, his other arm supporting her at her lower back, leading her out of the pub and down the gravel pathway back towards the thirteen divisions. Kumiko felt a little dizzy as they continued their walk silently. She guessed that maybe she had disturbed Sousuke with her story and hoped that he would keep the knowledge to himself. A part of her told her that he would. He didn't look like the type to willingly hurt someone.

"Can I tell you something, Sousuke-san?"

"I will listen to you for as long as you wish me to, Kumiko-taicho," Sousuke replied.

"And you will keep it to yourself?"

"I will take it to my grave."

"I haven't once taken a man to my bed since then," she said breathlessly, the sake was beginning to take its full effect as her knees buckled slightly under her. His arms caught her before she fell to the ground, picking her up and carrying her nearly incapacitated body the remainder of the walk to her quarters. "I was practicing celibacy and I continued to do so when I realized that I had fallen in love with Byakuya. I knew I wasn't going to return to my untouched state, but I was hoping that when the time finally came to give my new found purity away to someone, that it would be him to take it."

The nearly immobilized woman chilled slightly in the night's wind, wrapping her arms around Sousuke's neck in an effort to share some of the warmth of his body. She realized that she must have looked like such a pathetic and undeserving captain to Shinji's subordinate as she rested her head against the curve of his neck. Thanks to the only form of liquid courage around, Kumiko didn't care much at the moment, trusting that Sousuke was who she had pegged him to be, a man who did not judge people for their past mistakes. A man that only saw the person who stood before him now.

"I've always wondered what you tasted like."

She looked up into the brown eyes that seemed so sincere, a little surprised to hear such a bold statement from the mouth of a normally passive and reserved man. It was then that he began to strike her as handsome and sweet, an irresistible combination to any sensible woman, and the feel of his muscular arms cradling her to an equally muscular and broad chest. She looked up into his eyes again as he set her down, reaching the doors to her private quarters. With her back to the entrance, she opened the door, walking in reverse into the darkened room.

She undid the binds of her hair, letting the purple locks tumble down around her shoulders as she loosened the obi of her hakama and let her haori fall from her shoulders. Her eyes beckoned Sousuke to step into her room and he shut the door behind him. Darkness engulfed them both, the little light that trickled in earlier from the door way now completely gone.

"Then taste me."

Kumiko felt herself losing any semblance of thought as Sousuke took a step towards her. Her breathing had grown shallow now, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to be doing this. Byakuya's face inched its way into her mind's eye and she felt a lump in her throat. She wanted to be angry at him but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Kumiko didn't believe in anger, as strange as it may have sounded. Sousuke took another step forward, drawing closer and closer. She wanted to forget. Forget Byakuya and any relationship they had. Forget that she believed they'd stay as they were forever. Forget that she ever loved him.

_Maybe I am a whore. If this is what makes me forget. Then maybe I am_.

Sousuke twisted a lock of Kumiko's hair in his finger, stooping down to take in the scent of her hair. This wasn't Sousuke feeling anything akin to care or love. This was Sousuke taking a bonus for himself. A prize through the hard work and planning that he was currently doing. Every man has needs, he reminded himself. It just so happened that Byakuya did half his work for him. He smiled widely, pulling back and slipping his hands into the folds of the woman's kosode, sliding it up her sides and across her shoulders, pushing the fabric off as he did so.

Kumiko tilted her head back as warm lips met her neck, sucking and nibbling lower and lower. She vaguely felt a hand slip into her hakama, feeling and playing with her core as her breath caught in her throat. Sousuke walked backwards, wishing that he could just toss the woman on all fours and be done with it. Unfortunately, that's not the way the Sousuke the Gotei 13 knew would act. He needed to have a little tact tonight. Sousuke lifted Kumiko, leading her to wrap her legs around him as he carried her to the futon.

_I can barely..._

'_Why are you doing this, Miko-dono?'_

_I need_ _to forget._

'_There are other ways.'_

_Please, Kashi-kami. Just tonight._

'_If Miko-dono wishes.'_

Kumiko looked up into the gentle eyes of Sousuke who had just laid her down on the futon. Her hands went up to his neck, pulling his head down towards her as he undid his kosode and tossed it carelessly to the side. As soon as Kumiko saw the reassuring smile on Sousuke's face, she let him take the reins, his lips falling to the skin on her chest. She could feel Sousuke pulling her hakama off, his hands pushing her legs open as he kicked his own hakama off. Kumiko was a little surprised that Sousuke skipped any form of foreplay, somehow pegging him to be the shy type when it came to sex.

Her analysis of the situation stopped and she gasped when she felt him push into her. After being celibate for ten years, it was only understandable that it hurt a little to be taken by surprise. The pain left her quickly as Sousuke rocked himself back and forth, his arms supporting him on either side of Kumiko's head. She couldn't help but moan when he changed his pace suddenly, taking one slow, deep stroke before speeding up again. Kumiko's hands curled around the sheets of her bedspread as she met his rhythm, small beads of sweat forming on her body.

Sousuke scooped Kumiko up in his arms, turning his body so that they switched positions. Kumiko's thoughts were all over the place. It was as if her mind was trying to tell her something but she was running on auto-pilot. The whole point of her actions was to put an end to her incessant thinking and analyzing of everything. As she ground her hips against Sousuke's she threw her head backwards, her body arching as she let everything except the pleasure melt away.

---

He tightened the obi of his hakama before he picked up his division's insignia and strapping it back onto his upper arm. He smirked at the sight of the woman sleeping on the futon, the sheets barely covering her body. Her hair was strewn all over the pillow that her head rested on, her cheeks still pink from both the sake and the strenuous exercise that she finished a little while ago. He allowed himself to imagine how comedic it would be if he tossed a few coins at her side for the woman to find when she woke up. He resisted the urge. There would be time for humiliating her later on.

It had become a little game of his, playing with this woman. Something he used to entertain himself in between working towards his real goals. He laughed silently to himself as he exited her room and the division lodgings, wondering if the little seed he planted in her would take root. It was his payment to her. He found it curious though that all throughout the evening she refused to let him take her lips. Every time he tried to kiss her, she turned her face up or to the side, offering her cheek or neck in the place of soft and inviting lips.

He discontinued his musings as he neared his own division, the sound of a gurgled cry and a thud meeting his ears. With indifference to the obvious death that had just occurred, he smiled and trudged towards the sight of violent activity. He surveyed the blood soaked grass through his spectacles, hands at his back as he looked at the young silver haired boy he had met earlier that day. The boy had a wide smile on his face as he stared happily at the fallen third seat of the fifth division. Things were going, quite nicely, according to plan.

"Impressive," he said, "You're even better than the rumors suggest. Could I perhaps hear your name one more time?"

The boy turned his head to him, a lazy smirk on his face as he held his zanpakuto, blood dripping from its tip, "Gin. Ichimaru Gin."

"And how did you find him?" the older of the two asked, already knowing the answer. "Our division's third seat."

"Ah he was hopeless," the boy laughed with a shrug of his shoulders, "Not worth talkin' about."

"Is that right?" the man said, smiling kindly, eyeing the blood that continued to drip from the sword. "That's good to know."

He turned to walk towards the fifth division lodgings, the young Shinigami at his heels. He tilted his head upwards towards the sky, enjoying the feeling of certain success as he continued his travel towards the lodgings. The young Gin walked a little ways behind him to his right, sheathing his slightly shorter katana.

"Sorry mister," Gin said, "I forgot your name too. You're my fukutaicho, ain't ya?"

"That's right. You may call me Aizen."

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**[Chapter Five Preview]**

"Arigato, Ukitake-senpai."

Juushiro watched his young pupil leave, unable to suppress the worry that continued to assault him. Any display of emotion was a rare occurrence with Byakuya. The sickly captain moved to clean the used tea mugs, hoping that the young Kuchiki would be able to find the answers he was looking for.

**[End]**

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Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. I found this chapter a little bit hard to write. I'm not much good with writing about anything remotely sexual. [Cue awkward laughter.]

As usual, let me know what you think. Ja-ne!


	5. Gloriously Unglorious Aftermaths

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer:** I have given up hope of ever owning any part of Bleach. Goodbye to my dreams of having Shinji materialize and sweep me off my feet –complete with pharaoh mask and wide grin-.

**Note:** Once again, I would like thank my loyal reviewers **I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010** and **Anihana** for taking the time to leave me a note on their thoughts. But a very special thank you to **Anihana** – you know precisely why I am thank you fervently – whom I have decided to dedicate this chapter to. You seriously are the best. Thank you to **staryskies75** and **StarPup** for adding this story to your favorites list, I am so very flattered. Last but not the least, thank you to Akamura for subscribing to the story.

As usual, big thank you to **Rukia23** for putting up with me, apart from beta-ing the story so efficiently, and my recent lack of creativity which thus resulted in many annoying –I'm sure- e-mails at random hours.

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**Chapter Five  
**_**Glorious/Un-glorious Aftermaths**_

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**There wasn't any way that Urahara Kisuke could quite properly describe what having dozens of unsure faces staring at him felt like. If forced, he would probably say that it felt like being tied to a pole and roasted over an open flame slowly. Very slowly. Despite how hard he tried to fight it, a singular drop of sweat formed on the corner of his brow, threatening to fall as his fukutaicho, Hiyori, who stood half a body shorter than him, albeit menacingly, to his left. It was difficult not to notice the sheer air of defiance that lingered around the young lieutenant. She had adamantly refused to look at him for extended periods of time and barely contained a barrage of none to pleasant words for the most part.

"Eh," Kisuke murmured, scratching at the back of his head while the room full of Shinigami stared at him expectantly.

Hiyori hadn't given him much of an introduction to anything, not that he had come to expect one from her current behavior. Kisuke had guessed himself lucky when the girl consented to gathering his squad in the barrack's meeting hall, regardless of how long it took her to complete the job. Kisuke continued to scratch at his head. Everyone looked so surprised. He sighed, remembering clearly how much he expressed his discomfort to Yoruichi, he certainly didn't look like much of a captain and he was well aware of it.

"Konichiwa," Kisuke started, smiling an uneasy, lopsided smile. "My name is Urahara Kisuke. I'm your new captain. Nice to meet you."

His greetings were met with uniform looks of apprehension and confusion, almost as if most of them thought this to be some kind of joke. Kisuke laughed self-consciously, his hand flying to the back of his head yet again. Oh how he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He wasn't expecting his subordinates to accept him right off the bat, but he didn't think they would be this discomfited either. In a last ditch effort, he turned to Hiyori and extended his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you," Kisuke said, only to have his hand slapped away violently.

There was no stopping the very prominent throbbing of a vein as Hiyori ground her teeth together. She had been good thus far and so, she reasoned with herself, her soon to be actions wouldn't merit any sort of scolding from Love, Rose, Shinji, Kumiko or anyone else that held any authority over her. Her hands balled into tight fists as she yelled, without any sense of inhibition, at her new captain.

"I won't accept it, even if I don't like the fact that Hikifune-taicho left so suddenly!" went Hiyori, not caring that all of the twelfth division was watching her snap. "What really gets me is that you're from the second division! So what now? The Secret Mobile Corps?! Who can put up with anything like this? A sneaky murderer is going to be my captain!"

Many jaws dropped at the vile words that Hiyori was spewing like a pregnant woman with morning sickness.

"V-vice captain! You've said too much!" a faceless Shinigami stuttered from within the flabbergasted crowd.

It must have looked ridiculous, Hiyori considered, for someone that still looked very much like a child starting her walk through puberty, to be verbally abusing a much older superior. Her hand flew to point at the startled face of Kisuke whose eyes darted back and forth between the squad and his fukutaicho. He held his hands up before him in defence, attempting to smile and ending up with an embarrassed expression more than anything else.

"What!?"

A few more Shinigami shared their taicho's expression as Hiyori continued, "I'm just saying this with you lot's best interest in mind! You all agree don't ya! We can't follow this new fool!"

There were a few murmurs of agreement as some shared their vice captain's sentiment. Kisuke was at a loss for word and action so, he decided it was best to do what any person in his spot might do if they were insane. He laughed. Awkardly, yes, but he laughed none the less. If at all possible, the already pulsating vein at Hiyori's temple became even more prominent.

Hiyori turned to Kisuke looking far worse than scorned and grabbed at the neck of his kosode, bringing his face down to hers, "What's with the ha ha ha?! I'll send ya back to your old place!" When she received no reply, she continued, "Why don't you say something ya fool? Don't ya regret it already?!"

"But," Kisuke started simply, "I've already been made captain of the twelfth division."

It was Hiyori's turn to be at a complete loss for words as she released Kisuke and stared up at him, his words just barely sinking in. When the smaller of the two said nothing, Kisuke resumed his explanation.

"This morning, when I woke up, I had already decided that as soon as I stepped out of bed, I would already be a part of the twelfth division. From then on, how could I be mad at the criticism of my own division? Whatever makes you mad or not is something only you can change. They call it a 'change of heart' don't they?"

Still not knowing what to say and realizing how much of a spoiled little brat she must have looked like in front of her subordinates, Hiyori decided to take advantage of the fact that she had already dug herself a rather deep hole. If there was no other way than down, then why not? She glared at Kisuke impudently and reminded herself that hell hath no fury like a Hiyori scorned. If she was going down, she was going to do it well. And so, Hiyori pushed her right leg back and acted very much like a child her age would. She flung her leg forward and, with as much strength as she could in her disgruntled state, kicked Kisuke at the spot that should have hurt the most. There was no visible effect, to Hiyori's unseen horror which led her to resort to the next best thing. One moment she was there glaring at her captain, the next, she was halfway to the door and out of her division's meeting hall.

"What the hell did you say?!" Hiyori cried, "How freakin' lame!"

Then she was gone, with Kisuke staring, with a hint of sadness in his eyes, at the spot that Hiyori had previously been standing in. Hiyori flew down the hallways and out to the veranda of the division barracks. She made sure that she was well away from all human life forms before she dropped to her knee and clutched her right foot. Thrown tantrum or not and despite being at her lowest possible level of maturity, she would rather tell Shinji that he was far superior to her than admit that kicking Urahara Kisuke had caused her any sort of physical pain.

"Damn it hurts," Hiyori mumbled as she massaged her foot. "What does that bastard wear under his hakama?"

If word got out about her little temper tantrum, she was sure she'd never hear the end of it. Hiyori stood, with resolution and determination, turning on her heel and stomping back towards through the door and into the division barracks. There was nothing like a few well delivered threats to keep her subordinates' mouths shut.

---

The wind chimes would have been soothing for Genrei had it not been for the fact that Unohana Retsu sat in front of him uneasily, a rare expression for the fourth division captain to wear. The eighty years that he had known her, he had only seen this expression once. Genrei lay passively in the bed, the thin white linen sheets pulled up to his chest. His upper body was erect, resting on the three pillows that a servant had brought him earlier. He watched Retsu with a nondescript expression as she set a damp towel on his forehead. Apart from the formalities of greetings, not a word was spoken between them.

"It's been a while since we've had a moment alone, hasn't it?"

Retsu's gentle hands smoothed the towel over before folding them neatly atop one another on her lap, "A fair while."

"I apologize," Genrei smiled warmly, turning a palm upwards at his side expectantly.

There was slight hesitation in Retsu before she placed her hand in his, Genrei's rough fingers closing lightly around hers. A small smile graced Retsu's soft features, nostalgic of a few choice memories from their past. She brought her other hand to rest on top of Genrei's, cupping his hand with both of hers. She leaned in ever so slightly and exhaled deeply, amused at how her small hands failed to completely cover Genrei's.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Retsu said gently. "You have your responsibilities."

"None so important as to neglect you."

"We've spoken about this many times, Genrei-sama," Retsu scolded lightly. "Your clan needs your leadership. I am but a distraction."

"You're starting to sound like those council members," Genrei scowled, "And since when have you referred to me with such honorifics. I remember quite well the first time we met. There was certainly no respect from you."

"We were younger back then," Retsu laughed a little, remembering how Juushiro and Shunsui had teased her after the incident. "Well, at least I was." There was another scowl from Genrei. "Your council members made their opinion of me clear a very long time ago and we both made our decisions."

"A decision I have regretted for the majority of my life," Genrei reminded himself. "I have come to believe that those old men intentionally disapprove of every woman just to make every head of the clan miserable."

Retsu unravelled her hands from Genrei's and pushed her seat back a little to stand up. With her hands resuming their position neatly atop one another at her front, she strode to the window of Genrei's private quarters, watching the soft ripples in the Koi pond a few yards into the garden. She remembered quite vividly the circumstances that led to her status today. Retsu wasn't quite sure how many times she expressed her gratitude to the Commander-General for the actions he took to bring her into the Seireitei, nor was she sure how many times Yamamoto asked her to stop thanking him. No matter how much promise she showed as a healer prior to her leaving the Rukongai, she owed her blessings today to him and Retsu would never allow herself to forget it. It wasn't often that 'filth' of the Rukongai were taken in and trained to become Shinigami. The last Retsu heard of anything similar to her case, she believed, was the current Juubantai-taicho.

"What are you thinking about?"

Retsu turned her gaze to Kuchiki Genrei. She smiled warmly at the man that she knew she loved, "Strangely enough, I was thinking about Byakuya-kun."

"So you noticed?"

"The tension was fairly transparent," Retsu laughed gently.

Genrei shook his head, "He's still too young to be so controlled by those judgemental old fools."

"If I remember correctly," Retsu said. "You were just like him."

"Then I certainly hope that he doesn't make the same mistakes I have," Genrei smiled solemnly at Retsu. "Now, I believe we have other matters to discuss."

There was seriousness in Retsu's eyes that Genrei took note of. He sat up straighter and prepared himself for the news that the healer would give him, almost certain that he wasn't going to be happy with it. Retsu resumed her earlier seat, as composed as ever.

"I suggest that you start preparing Byakuya-kun for captaincy," Retsu said, giving Genrei no hints to how hard saying those words were. "And you need to slow your pace down."

Genrei chuckled, "I have groomed my grandson for the succession of my position both in the Gotei thirteen and the clan since he became my lieutenant."

"Then stepping down won't be so difficult," Retsu returned.

"Not so difficult for me as it will be for Byakuya."

Retsu found herself with no reply to Genrei's statement, knowing well that it was true. Genrei was Byakuya's only figure of a parent. The young man saw his elder as a pillar of strength, unwavering, unfaltering, and unbeatable by any foe, much less a disease. The fourth division taicho couldn't help but grimace, taking Genrei's statement as a form of declining to take her advice. Despite the treatments she administered to Genrei, she couldn't guarantee how many more winters he would see before his illness claimed him. The door to Genrei's room opened then, the subject of the conversation walking silently into the room, stopping when he noticed Retsu.

"Unohana-taicho," Byakuya said with a small bow, a large stack of papers cradled in his arms. "I apologize for the disturbance. I was unaware."

Retsu stood and gave Byakuya a similar greeting, "Isane-san must have wandered off then. I asked her to wait outside. No need for apologies, Byakuya-kun, we were just finishing up."

"Thank you for coming, Unohana-taicho," Genrei smiled, taking Retsu's hand one last time.

"It was no trouble, Kuchiki-taicho," Retsu replied.

Byakuya watched the exchange with narrow eyes. The conduct of his grandfather was unbecoming of him, displaying so much affection towards a woman whom he was not involved with. Byakuya barely managed to respectfully bid the taicho farewell when she took her leave, eyes still on his grandfather. The man looked even more worn and wearied than earlier. Not only that, he also seemed to be a slight bit more melancholy.

"Is there something you needed, Byakuya?" Genrei asked as the door closed.

"Some of these documents require your signature," Byakuya replied, claiming the seat previously occupied by Unohana Retsu. "I have read them all for you. Everything seems to be in order."

They began working like a well oiled machine, swift and precise in their movements, like always. Byakuya would hand one paper at a time to his grandfather who would then proceed to scan through the papers and, with a quick flourish of his wrist, would sign the document. They continued silently, efficient in their completion of paperwork. Byakuya noticed the slight increase in Genrei's laboured breathing. He allowed himself some concern for a few moments before quickly reassuring himself that his grandfather simply needed more rest. It would only be a matter of time before his taicho was back on his feet.

As Genrei signed the final piece of paper, he said, "Unohana-taicho thinks I may soon be out of time."

"Even a taicho can make mistakes, ojiisan," Byakuya replied instantly, "Excuse me, ojiisan, I need to take some of these to Juushiro-senpai."

Byakuya was out the door before Genrei could tell him to sit back down. The aged man allowed himself to fully lie down, seeking sleep and peace of mind. Genrei was saddened by his grandson's blatant act of avoidance. No matter how stony Byakuya's expression was, his emotions would always be transparent to the man that raised him. The man knew his grandson well enough to see right through his actions and the denial that Byakuya had allowed to devour his mind, as if he would rather deny the existence of any illness rather than come to terms with it.

'He acts like a grown up, he looks like a grown up, but I raised that boy,' Genrei said to himself as his eyes shut and the fatigue overpowered him, 'He hasn't grown up enough to deal with something to this degree head on just yet.'

There was a strange calm that filled Byakuya as he walked further from his family's mansion and towards the Gotei divisions. He savoured it, knowing that it wouldn't last very long. The past few days had been rough, not that he would ever admit it to anyone, almost like he was walking around with thunder clouds hanging over his head –something that Senbonzakura mentioned was a reality in her world. His zanpakutou had expressed her concerns when the weather she was experiencing went from cloudy to a mixture of flash rains, heavy winds and fog. Work was piling up at the sixth division and at the mansion, taking up most of Byakuya's time. He was no longer certain of how many times he had to negate the rumors of his grandfather's retirement. Not to mention, he had successfully destroyed a friendship. He wasn't quite sure if it was out of necessity or desire, either way, what was done was done. There was nothing more he could do about the matter and chose to push it from his thoughts as he plotted a course towards the thirteenth division.

---

"Unnhhh."

Kumiko groaned into her pillow as she squirmed uncomfortably in her bed. She shivered a little as a light draft made its way to her bare skin, teasing her, goading her to wake up. Her eyes opened to little slits, meeting the white of her bed spread, only to clamp shut a second later. A hand flew to her forehead, willing the headache that assaulted her away. Floundering about her futon, Kumiko felt the draft heighten, the blanket that barely covered her curves – or lack thereof – slid further down off of her body. Kumiko felt around her surroundings and pulled the blanket, which she still clutched to her chest, back over her rear.

"Aww c'mon now," came a voice, "Ya didn't have to do that. Ya looked absolutely exquisite with your body out in the open for me to admire."

Lime green eyes shot open as Kumiko sat up faster than she could comprehend. Her headache magnified to an intolerable level, "Itai!"

Kumiko clutched her forehead with both hands, her hair falling to curtain her face. She peeked through the gap between her fingers to see the ample grin on the face of one Hirako Shinji. Her cheeks tinted as Shinji's smile grew exponentially, enjoying his small friend's attempts at covering herself up. Shinji smiled knowingly, walking from the room only to return a few minutes later with a steaming cup of tea. Kumiko had not moved from her position, retaining the blush on her cheeks as Shinji handed her the cup.

"If you had told me that you enjoyed sleeping in the nude," Shinji started, sitting at the foot of the futon, "I would've joined you a long time ago."

"Urasai, Shinji."

"Eh? That's no way to speak to your first love."

"You're a far cry from my first love," Kumiko snapped barely able to keep the disdain from dripping off of her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I planned on inquiring about your favourable extra-curricular activities, but I'm afraid we don't have any time for that."

Managing to evade the tea cup that hurtled towards his head, Shinji stood and walked about the room to collect the articles of clothing that had been strewn across the area. He dumped the armful on Kumiko's head, earning himself a glare from the hung over taicho as he resumed his previous seated position, leaning back on his hands as his eyes trailed over the curves of Kumiko's shoulders.

"Get out, Shinji," Kumiko whined, refusing to get dressed while the gobantai taicho was in her room.

"Chi chi," Shinji scoffed, "No time to be bashful, Kumiko. It's not like you'll be showing me anything I haven't seen before."

"Eh?!" If possible, the tint on the woman's cheeks deepened. "W-what exactly did you see?"

"I'm kiddin'," Shinji chuckled. "Now hurry up. We're five minutes from late."

Shinji exited the room just as Kumiko shot out of bed, forgetting any semblance of modesty that she exhibited earlier, remembering the assignment that Yamomoto-sotaicho had given them. He heard Kumiko trip over something, probably the bed sheets, and swear as her footsteps hurried about inside.

"Didn't I tell ya there was no time to be bashful?" Shinji called into the room, earning a slew of profanities in return.

A brief amount of time passed before Kumiko ran out of the room, fully clothed, haori half-way on, and grabbed Shinji's wrist. Shinji couldn't for the life of himself remember a time when Kumiko's shunpo was this fast. The barrack's halls were filled with members of the tenth division, all of them slightly more than surprised when they spotted their captain clumsily making her way through the building. A familiar strawberry blonde haired woman was lucky enough to get in Kumiko's way, flying sideways into Soujiro when her captain roughly pushed her to the side.

"Gomen!" Kumiko called behind her. "Soujiro! Make sure all my paperwork is ready for me to work on when I get back! Don't even think of going anywhere near them, Matsumoto, and don't think that you can squeeze your way past Soujiro!"

The two Shinigami smiled grimly after their taicho. They really did have to admit, for someone that normally terrorized her subordinates more than practicing any other type of bonding interaction, she knew them a lot better than they expected. Barely managing to suppress a giggle, Matsumoto waved at the disappearing figure of her captain.

"Only our taicho would follow up an apology with some sort of threat," Matsumoto laughed, bouncing happily after Soujiro towards Kumiko's office. "She really is something, isn't she?"

"She's terrifying," Soujiro muttered, knowing he'd have to organize the paperwork twice now that Rangiku was on his tail. He winced when she bounded into the office ahead of him, making herself comfortable on the couch before Soujiro had the chance to close the door behind them.

"Beside that though," Matsumoto said, smiling to herself more than anything, "I'm proud to be a part of her squad."

Soujiro began sifting through the never ending pile of documents that sat ominously on top of the sleek wooden surface of the table, "Honestly, I would have preferred to be in Ukitake-taicho's squad. He looks much kinder...and patient."

Rangiku twisted her body on the couch to look at the sixth seat with a raised brow, "You really do keep to yourself don't you, Soujiro?"

"What do you mean?"

There was an obvious sigh of exasperation in Rangiku's voice as she replied, "A lot of the people in the squad were really curious about you when you first entered the Juubantai. You immediately had a seated position _and_ Hisashi-taicho, as the word goes, specifically requested that you be in her squad. To be honest, none of us were sure why and many of the others were jealous of you. A special request, imagine that."

Rangiku pouted before she continued, "To be specifically requested by a taicho into his or her squad is an honor that you should cherish."

"I," Soujiro said, his eyes wide at the information Rangiku had given him, "I didn't know she requested for me."

"Well Hisashi-taicho _is_ strangely introverted with her reasons," Rangiku supplied, making herself comfortable on the cushions once more. "You have to admit, she knows us all more than we might think."

"What about you, Rangiku-san?"

"I'm a feminist," Rangiku laughed. "I vowed I would get into a division with a female captain. Initially, I had my heart set on working with Unohana-taicho. Beautiful, smart and they say she's a master at kendo. About a month before I graduated from the academy, there was an exhibition within the Gotei 13 and as graduating students, we were permitted to watch. Hishashi-taicho definitely wasn't at Unohana-taicho's level. She's much younger, ne? But when I watched her lead her squad in the exhibition, I noticed that even if she looks like she's terrorizing her squad most of the time, she pays a lot more attention to her subordinates than the other taichos. Maybe the only reason we haven't seen a softer side to her is because we never bothered to seek it. I still can't explain it now, but I know that I want to be in this squad."

"Do you really look up to her that much, Rangiku-san?" Soujiro questioned, almost certain that the busty tenth seat was pulling his leg.

"Hai, Soujiro-san," Rangiku replied, sitting up and smiling at him. "There's a lot we've already learned from her. We just don't know it yet. Now let me help you with those."

Soujiro looked positively horrified at the suggestion, earning himself a punch in the arm and a scowl. Even if he was the man of the two, Rangiku towered over him in length and thus, he relented, stepping aside to let the woman start sorting papers. He wasn't sure what shocked him more, the fact that Rangiku seemed to be enjoying herself or that she was actually properly sorting the papers.

"Try not to look so surprised," Rangiku's melodic laughter sounded, "I've been known to be helpful once or twice."

Kumiko found herself mentally appraising Yourichi, as she and Shinji drew closer to the Shinigami Academy, for her adamant teaching of the flash step. They arrived at the gates of the Academy with a minute to spare, Shinji straightening his haori and gesturing to Kumiko's hair, mussed from the travel. The taicho raked her fingers through her hair hastily, fumbling on the ribbon she had hastily stuffed in her kosode sleeve earlier when a teaching assistant arrived to escort them through the school and to the training grounds.

"That was very impressive," Shinji muttered to Kumiko as they walked a few paces behind their guide.

"Thank you," Kumiko replied, sarcasm colouring her voice. "And many thanks for once again making me look like a terrible captain. What kind of example do I set when I'm running late like that?"

"Ah come on," Shinji replied, "We both know your subordinates think highly of you, despite your many, gloriously unending, and unbelievably large amount of short comings."

"How comforting," Kumiko glowered and as an afterthought, as well as very sure that Shinji would tell everyone else, said, "I'll never hear the end of this from Hiyori."

"I try to be helpful," Shinji returned, with his one of a kind grin.

"Try waking me up earlier the next time you attempt to be remotely helpful."

"I woke ya up, didn't I?" Shinji pointed out, grin still plastered to his face. "Are ya plannin' on sharing any of the details of your demanding night?"

The blush that crept onto Kumiko's cheeks was hardly something she could hide from the gobantai taicho. Shinji couldn't help but frown at the reaction his words drew from his friend. The reality that his lieutenant was gone half the night was a difficult thing for him to ignore, given the detail that he was already rather apprehensive of the man as it was. A very dominant part of him wanted to scold Kumiko, yell at her for choosing Aizen Sousuke, of all people, to give something so sacred to. He pegged it to his mind not ever fully adjusting to the fact that Kumiko was no longer his fukutaicho. He moulded her, somewhat, into the woman she was during their time together in the fifth division and he was sure that no one could come close to replacing her value to him. It didn't matter what he wanted to believe.

The fact of the matter was that Kumiko was his equal now, not his subordinate, and he, for the most part, would not be able to order her to stay away from Sousuke. The silence was broken only by the sound of their feet against the wooden hallway, the tension palpable. Kumiko should've known that Shinji would piece things together. Regardless of the flippant attitude that her former superior frequently displayed, he was one of the most perceptive people she knew. It was a gift, really, that Shinji was able to read people so well. Kumiko was unable to suppress the slight tremor of fear that coursed through her, remembering the few times that she angered him in previous years. He could be just as intimidating as the sotaicho when he wanted to be.

"Do ya even remember who it was with?"

Kumiko couldn't help the frown that spread through her lips, thanking higher beings that their guide was a good ways from them, "That is a foul thing to suggest."

"I couldn't think of any better explanation for why you would sleep with Aizen of all people," Shinji's voice wasn't angry. Much worse, it was disappointed. "You know how I feel about him."

"Not withstanding what you may think, you're not always right, Shinji," Kumiko tried to say rebelliously, her voice ending up flat and more or less a slight bit hopeful.

It was an irrevocable truth that she let herself down when she allowed herself to be caught up in the moment with Sousuke and yet there was an unexplainable feeling of expectance. Be it the notion that someone might be able to facilitate her moving forward from Byakuya or the sheer desire to be intimate with someone so gentle and caring, Kumiko prayed that the words Sousuke spoke the previous night weren't fabricated. That he bedded her not for the primal need of a man to pleasure himself, but because he felt something akin to like for her. It was pathetic really, and something she wouldn't tell Shinji under any circumstance, how much she craved to be loved by someone for a change. It was only natural, she reasoned, that after being treated like a toy for most of her life, she could finally be treated like a woman.

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"I don't love him, if that's what you want to know. I'm not a naive, impulse driven child, Shinji. It takes a considerable amount of time for me to decide I like someone, and exponentially longer to even consider being in love. If you want to know if I think anything is possible between Sousuke-san and myself, of that I am not certain," Kumiko said, "Yet."

"Speaking as your closest friend, Kumiko," Shinji scowled, "I suggest that ya make yourself certain awfully soon. Like I said, you _know_ what I think of him."

"And as my closest friend, you should know very well by now that I am far more sensible and perceptive than you give me credit for."

"There's nothing wrong with wantin' to keep ya safe."

"There's also nothing wrong with giving someone the benefit of the doubt."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I would hope it possible for us to agree to disagree at this moment in time," Kumiko tried to avoid any further argument with Shinji. She didn't enjoy fighting with him, not like this anyways.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

They arrived at the academy's kido training grounds without another word spoken between them. Their guide left quickly after depositing the two taichos into the care of the instructor who ushered them to two chairs that had been set up on a platform prior to their arrival. The instructor, who introduced himself as Kenta, excused himself, explaining that the graduating class would be there shortly for the demonstration. Kumiko fidgeted a bit in her seat, akin to the way she had when she was in the sotaicho's office. Even if she wanted to remain impassive about her current dilemma with Shinji, she failed at her attempts, unable to deny that Shinji's opinion possibly meant more to her than any other, maybe even more than her senpai's. She risked a sidelong glance at Shinji and winced when she realized he had been doing the same.

"Relax, would ya," Shinji said, casting his glance away from Kumiko and towards the students that were now filing into the grounds. "Like ya said, we're agreein' to disagree right now."

"I hate having conflicts with you."

"Well sometimes it can't be helped," Shinji said matter-of-factly. "I talked to Yama-jii this mornin'. He mentioned that ya might wanna pay some special attention to the Komamura kid he mentioned the other day."

"Hai, arigato."

Shinji peeked at Kumiko and upon seeing her still uneasy posture, cursed himself for being so partial to her. With as much nonchalance as he could gather, he awkwardly wrapped an arm around Kumiko's shoulders, or at least meant to. He missed her shoulders in his quick decision to attempt to show her some semblance of forgiveness and caught Kumiko's slender neck instead. The woman in question choked at the sudden impact to her throat, hands flying to Shinji's arm, beating at it in a violent request for oxygen. She gasped for air when she managed to pry Shinji's arm from her neck and glared at him.

"Are you attempting murder me in some fashion?" Kumiko cried.

"I was just tryin' to make things less awkward for ya!"

"By depriving me of oxygen?!"

"Ah shut up," Shinji grinned, ruffling Kumiko's hair as the man from earlier, Kenta, prepared to speak and explain the activities that would take place for the day. "Let's have fun pickin' some of these kids apart, ne?"

Kumiko couldn't help but smile, letting the memory of their recent argument fade for the time being.

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**A/N:** Hope that was alright. This was a pretty tough chapter to write. It was almost like I was wringing my brain out to follow up the previous chapter. Sorry if it was pretty slow but there is always some good news in the next chapter's preview, ne?

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**[Chapter Six Preview]**

The color drained her face and much to her horror –or pleasure, she wasn't quite sure- she found herself staring at his gloriously naked body.

"Is this some sort retribution?"

**[End of preview]**

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Well, till the next chapter, which hopefully will be posted soon. Take some time to drop me a note, eh?

_**-the holy see**_


	6. Retribution?

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer:** I have given up hope of ever owning any part of Bleach. So long Byakuya, I guess we were never really meant to be, huh? –Insert ridiculous laughter here-.

**Note:** Many thanks go out to: **Anihana**, **Rukia23** (who apart from reviewing is also my irreplaceable beta-reader), **Cathryn2008**, **Gimlet**, **Koi No Mega Lover**, **Staryskies75**, my second anonymous reviewer **'Wow'**, **I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010**, and last but not the least **Akamura** for leaving me lovely reviews last chapter.

Thank you also to the following for adding me to their story alerts/favorite story/favorite author lists: **Akamura**, **Anihana**, **Nalintood**, **Gimlet**, and **Koi No Mega Lover**. It is very much appreciated.

**Song Recommendations:** _'Shindou Satoshi'_ by **Asian Kung-Fu Generation**_. 'Houki Houshi' _from the **Bleach Soundtrack.**

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**Chapter Six  
**_**Retribution?**_

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The sun was fading in the distance and still the sound of zanpakuto crashing against zanpakuto was as loud as when the exhibitions first began. Apparently, Shinji and Kumiko were told, word had spread amongst the students that two Gotei 13 captains would be visiting the Academy to take part in the days activities. Naturally, they were all looking to show off their talents, most especially the fifth and tenth division hopefuls. Neither Shinji nor Kumiko could blame anyone of them for taking the opportunity to capture their attentions, they would have done it too if they were in any of the students' shoes. Unfortunately, Kumiko reminded herself time and time again, she and Shinji were here to watch two specific students as explicitly instructed by the sotaicho. With no intention of being on the wrong side of commander-general's temper, Kumiko watched only Komamura Sajin and Kaname Tosen.

Shinji sighed heavily for the eighth time in the past hour, his chin resting lazily on his hand as his eyes flickered back and forth between the two objects of his attention. It was boring. It was all very boring. Neither was taking any risks in their respective combats. Where was the fun in sparring if all they were going to do was block their opponents' attacks? Again, boring. He sighed, once more, and noticed the slight twitch in his companion's brow.

"How are we supposed to gather any useful information on them if they aren't even going to release their shikais?" Shinji retorted to the unspoken reprimand that Kumiko sent him.

"Baka," Kumiko replied, slightly irritated and scratching at a still sore neck. "I won't believe, even in the slightest, that you don't already know the significance behind it."

"Of course I do," Shinji said lazily, "But what's the fun in being here if we aren't going to see anything remotely exciting."

Kumiko had to agree with Shinji. She was hoping to see just how much these two shoo-ins could do but was certain that unless they were pushed to their limit, there was nothing else to see here. So far, no other student showed any promise in pushing either Komamura or Kaname to release their zanpakutos. It was, however, very interesting that neither appeared to be interested in displaying their power, and the only reason Kumiko could think to explain it was a lack of desire to harm another unnecessarily. Another thing that quirked Kumiko's interest was the fact that one was undeniably blind and the other wore gloves, a helmet and shakers that completely sealed his appearance from everyone.

"That's it," Shinji exhaled, standing up without warning and striding into the middle of the makeshift battle field. His bored frown grew into a devious smirk, "C'mon Kumiko. Let's shake things up a little."

Kumiko smiled, expecting that it would come to this. She followed Shinji's model and stood, walking at a steady pace after him and towards Kaname and Komamura. One by one, student after student, battles ceased and curious eyes followed the two taichos towards the center of the kido grounds. The Gobantai-taicho and Jyubantai-taicho of the goteijusantai were certainly an odd sight and, from what the students have seen so far, didn't seem to be as terrifying as the rumors suggested. The only students left fighting were Sajin, Tosen and their respective partners. Shinji sauntered forward and grabbed hold of the kosode of the boy fighting Tosen and pulled him backwards, using the momentum to sit the boy on his rear.

"I think you've had enough excitement for one day," Shinji dismissed the boy, who scurried up and away from the taicho, with a wave of his hand.

The one fighting Sajin barely had enough time to comprehend what was happening when Kumiko did the same to him, looking down at him with an expression that clearly expressed her desire for him to step back. He did what was wordlessly suggested as fast as he could while Sajin watched, through the gap in his helmet, the much shorter, purple haired taicho that stood before him. Kenta, the instructor of the class, quivered slightly in his socks when he watched the two captains draw their zanpakutos simultaneously. Most of the other students had backed away, awed at the sight. Maybe they didn't look it earlier with the bickering back and forth, but standing with pristine posture and their zanpakutos drawn, they were incontestably intimidating.

"Hirako-taicho, Hisashi-taicho," Kenta struggled to sputter a few meters away, "Is this really necessary?"

Shinji's smirk grew into a grin, the tip of sword staring Tosen in the face, "If they aren't going to show us what we came here to see, then we'll just have to force it out of them. Ain't that right, Hisashi-taicho?"

Kumiko opted not to reply. It was rhetorical in any case, only an idiot would be unable to guess the answer to Shinji's question. And if there was someone in the room that wasn't able, they had no business being in the Shinigami Academy. She noticed a flare in the reiatsus of the two students and smiled ever so slightly. To her left, Shinji had already launched into an attack against Tosen, much to Kenta's horror. She was tempted to giggle when Kenta looked ready to faint but instead kept her gaze on the helmet covered head of Komamura Sajin. Sajin's posture was indicatie of hesitation as Kumiko bent her knee and leaned forward, taking her stance. She knew what he was thinking.

'_Tch, the boy actually thinks he might hurt us.'_

'_He has probably become accustomed to the idea that his size is enough to win.' _Kumiko said to her zanpakuto.

'_How arrogant.'_

'_I believe this to be more of worry than arrogance.'_

"Don't be afraid of hurting me, Komamura Sajin," Kumiko said evenly, trying hard not to smile, "You should know well that a person's power is not dictated by his or her size. Now, prepare yourself. My aim _is_ to hurt you."

---

Cherry blossom littered the sky, weaving around tree branches, skimming the surface of the lake and slicing through any obstacles in their path. Slender but masculine hands guided the petals through the skies, almost as if performing intricate tai-chi. Juushiro always found it so interesting that Byakuya's zanpakuto could be so very beautiful and yet so horrifically destructive. He sat along the edge of the training grounds closest to his home, like he would normally would while one of his students were training, and watched with renewed interest. Byakuya seemed frustrated by something, that much was certain, as he threw his hands forward, sending Senbonzakura through the foliage and taking a few trees down with her. When there was one tree that remained steadfast amongst the fallen, Byakuya brought his hands back and shot them forward, once more, with twice as much power. The tree never stood a chance.

"Byakuya-kun," Juushiro called out, patting at the stack of papers that he had set down next to him earlier when he came out. "I've finished with the papers you sent over."

Byakuya's breath fell heavily. He wiped the sweat off of his brow with the back of his hand as he recalled Senbonzakura, the blade of his sword regenerating. A light tap from the heel of his foot sent him flying upwards, landing gracefully on the floor beside his senpai. Bending down to pick up the stack, Byakuya paused, bowed and gathered the papers into his hands.

"Arigato, Juushiro-senpai," Byakuya said, straightening up.

Juushiro easily noticed how Byakuya seemed to be avoiding him, "Byakuya-kun, how is Kuchiki-taicho?"

"He's fine," Byakuya replied, not bothering to pause his walk, with an unintentional tone of petulance. "He'll be back up at the division office in a few weeks."

"Is that right?" Juushiro replied, "Unohana-taicho seems to disagree."

"She doesn't know what she's talking about," Byakuya replied, turning his head a fraction, footsteps coming to a halt. "My grandfather is much stronger than any of you give him credit for."

"That's a rather bold statement to make, don't you think?" Juushiro said, frowning at the now distasteful malcontent in his student's voice. It was fine to be upset but to insinuate the Unohana Retsu was something akin to daft was not something Juushiro would stand for. "Retsu-san is the best healer in the Sereitei, Byakuya. Far more respect than you have just given is due."

"Gomen," Byakuya replied, obviously not meaning a word of it.

"You are forgiven," Juushiro said, "Byakuya, there comes a time when you must accept the cards that you have been dealt. Perhaps you are no longer my student and you may think that I no longer have the right to discipline you, but in my eyes, once my student, always my student. I must ask that you remember this. The people who know you well can see right through you, even those you push away. If she saw you, she'd see through your charade."

Byakuya's throat tightened at the reference, angered also at the idea that what Juushiro said was true. She probably would notice the change in his recent demeanour if she was still his friend. Too aggravated to acknowledge any more of Juushiro's nonsense, Byakuya turned once more saying, "Arigato, Ukitake-senpai."

Juushiro watched his still too young pupil leave, unable to suppress the worry that continued to assault him. It was no secret amongst the older captains that Kuchiki Genrei's health was failing, such a thing was hard to hide from trained eyes. Juushiro wondered for a moment if Kumiko had noticed. He was sure that Shinji had realized the current state of things, but the blonde wasn't one to go about spurting bad news left and right. A part of Juushiro knew that Shinji would wait for Kumiko to notice it for herself. What worried him was what would happen when she did. There was a great deal of debt in Kumiko's heart towards the sixth division taicho who had brought about her drastic change in fortune.

As for Byakuya, well, Juushiro had not failed to notice the tightly clenched fists that Byakuya had earlier held at his sides. In the past year, any display of real emotion was a rare occurrence for the younger Kuchiki. The mere fact that he had allowed himself to show himself in such a disgruntled nature was much like a solar eclipse. Knowing that there wasn't much that he could do for Byakuya unless the young man opened himself to his loved ones, Juushiro stood shakily from his seat, taking his tea cup with him. The taicho retired to his bed hoping that the young lieutenant would soon find the answers and the clarity that he was unwittingly searching for.

---

"Itai! Itai! Itai!" Kumiko squealed, rubbing her shoulder as she and Shinji continued their walk from the Shinigami Academy.

Night had fallen in the midst of their travel and still all they could think of was how impressive Kaname Tosen and Komamura Sajin were during their friendly battles. Of course, Tosen had been unable to inflict any damage on Shinji, but the released form of his zanpakuto, Suzumushi, had earned Shinji's undivided attention. Suzumushi was unlike most zanpakuto in that it had two different shikai commands and, though neither captain could believe it at first, that Suzumushi was given to Tosen rather earned by him. It was unheard of, to be given a zanpakuto, and the fact that Tosen could wield a sword that was not his own just added to his mystery. He may not have said it out loud, but Kumiko was sure that Shinji would make a request for Tosen come graduation time.

Kumiko had no objections as she was already rather fond of Sajin. The giant seemed to share a rather odd friendship with Tosen, a friendship that would probably remain unexplained until Kumiko had the chance to actually have a civilized conversation with the man. The events from earlier that day were not very conducive for conversational talk. Normally, a Shinigami of a captain's level would be able to handle a student's shikai without having to call his or her own zanpakuto's name, but the power behind Sajin's Tenken was incontrovertible. Upon the release of her zanpakuto, the force of her reiatsu was enough to knock out a team of students closest to her – of course Shinji managed to take out his fair share of students- and she was evidently the stronger of the two. Regardless of this though, Sajin was able to put up a fight, no matter how short, and somehow managed to land a blow on a surprised Kumiko's shoulder when his zanpakuto materialized in the form of a giant arm floating mid-air.

"Stop yelpin' like that will ya," Shinji said, rubbing his ear with his pinky, "Yer givin' me a migraine."

"Baka," Kumiko retorted, "If my shoulder hurts, I'll express it however I please."

"Chi," Shinji said, "I can't believe ya let that kid get a hit in on ya. A captain's suppose to give a beatin' and not get hit at all. Ya should follow my example. Makes me wonder how ya ever became a captain."

Kumiko's palms tingled as she scrunched her eyes together, her palm curling up. She wanted so badly to punch Shinji but resisted her desires like a lady should. Trying to distract herself from her obvious and palpable annoyance, she said, "Luckily Yamamoto-sotaicho asked us to go, ne? Those will settle quickly into our squads."

"Yer exceptionally unobservant demeanour is so surprisin'," Shinji waved his hand lazily at her, "Yama-jii sent us because he wants us to take them. Chi, honestly Kumiko, yer gettin' dumber every day."

"Yes, I think you've made your opinion on my lacking intellect very clear, Shinji," Kumiko said with amazing irritation.

"That's what a good friend does, baka."

Kumiko growled, unable to contain her irritation any longer, launching herself after Shinji much like an infuriated Hiyori might do. She jumped onto his back, catching Shinji by surprise, bashing her small fist onto the top of head, her mouth spewing profanities each time her fist connected to Shinji's skull.

"Haidozo! Haidozo! Haidozo! (Here you go! Here you go! Here you go!)" She continued to pound until Shinji's hands flew up, albeit blindly, up to her, grabbing Kumiko by her upper arms and prying her from his neck.

Shinji swung Kumiko over his head and threw her to the ground. Using the momentum in Shinji's throw, Kumiko extended a palm out to propel her body into a vertical state. Her hair had come loose, falling into luscious waves around her face, bangs curtaining one eye as the other stared at Shinji menacingly. Nursing his pulsating head, Shinji stuck his tongue out at Kumiko, waving _the finger_ in her face as he strut past her. They truly shared one of the most awkward relationships that the Sereitei had ever known.

"Ya feelin' better yet?"

"No."

Shinji raised a brow.

"Fine, maybe a little."

"Yer a lot more like Hiyori than you'll ever admit."

"I have much more self control than she does," Kumiko said indignantly, "If I really wanted to hurt you, I would have." Shinji didn't deny it as he was a little more than put out to say that Kumiko had come a long way since she was his fukutaicho. "Speaking of that little she-devil, have you heard any word about her adjustment to Urahara-taicho?"

"I really don't think that question needs an answer," Shinji snickered as they neared the outskirts of the twelfth division, "She'll give Kisuke hell before yielding in any way, shape or form to his wishes."

Kumiko couldn't help but giggle light heartedly as she concurred with Shinji's opinion on the matter. Hiyori, who was not taking Hikifune's sudden promotion lightly, was notorious for causing trouble. It was only fitting to her character that she bestows the same courtesy to Kisuke. One could consider this to be a rite of passage, in a way, to captaincy, except the twelfth squad of course. Hiyori's temper was more like an entrance exam of some sorts. If they found a way to grow accustomed to the tiny fukutaicho's rage within their third week, it was a sure sign that the member was deserving of their place in the division.

The roof of the twelfth division barrack's was within their range of sight as they passed by, Shinji, noticing a lone figure sitting on the porch of the building, smiled his unparalleled smile, and changed his course of direction. Kumiko followed, recognizing the hunched form of the man they were just discussing. The audible sigh escaped Urahara Kisuke's lips as the two drew nearer. Like they expected, the poor man had already witnessed and survived his first Hiyori tantrum. This was a good sign, he might just last after all.

"As expected, it looks like you're already in trouble," Shinji said as he and Kumiko stepped out of the shadows that the trees gave them.

Kisuke's head snapped up, his eyes meeting the two very distinguishable pairs of Shinji's and Kumiko's. The new captain's hands went to grasp the wooden bars that held up the porch's railing as he stared, surprised, at the two new arrivals. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice their approach. Kisuke had heard a lot about the two from Yoruichi who had taken a liking to telling stories about most of the captains as she prepped Kisuke for recommendation to the sotaicho. Like his former captain had said, Shinji was certainly one of the more laid back of the captains. It was the smile similar to Shinji's that was worn by Kumiko that was unlike Yoruichi's descriptions. She had depicted Kumiko as a captain very similar to Aikawa-taicho, much more reserved and complacent. Then again, Yoruichi was much more detached from the Gotei thirteen than any of the other taichos. A mistake here and there was forgivable.

"Hirako-taicho, Hishashi-taicho," Kisuke said, surprise still tainting his voice as he greeted the pair.

"Ya can call us Shinji and Kumiko," Shinji greeted, coming to stop a few feet away from where Kisuke sat looking just a bit defeated. Maybe Hiyori was giving him an extra dose of bitchy as a welcoming gift. "We're all captains, eh?"

Shinji turned to lean against the porch staring up at the moon at Kisuke had found so interesting previously while Kumiko sat herself on the grass, braiding her hair loosely as opposed to her typical ponytail. Kisuke's back hunched over again at the relaxed aura the two taicho's were exuding.

"How's Hiyori," Shinji asked, "She's giving you problems, heh?"

"Nah," Kisuke replied, half heartedly. Kumiko commended him for not opting to rat out the insolent subordinate.

"It's because she looked up to Hikifune as though she were her mother," Kumiko said, smiling kindly at Kisuke. "It's hard to replace such a thing, ne?"

"Yeah it's true," Kisuke admitted, smiling in him impish manner, "I do want to become her friend, but I can't replace her previous captain."

Shinji gave Kisuke a disapproving sidelong glance, "Ya really mean that, don't ya?"

Kisuke looked to Shinji with a curious gaze as he continued, "I hate people who just say it and don't mean it. I'll give ya advice as someone who has been a captain long before you." Shinji started to walk away from Kisuke, Kumiko stretching before standing up to follow him, "The feelings of those below should not be considered by the one that stands on top, even if the one on top understands those feelings."

"He's right you know," Kumiko smiled, walking backwards, her hands behind her head, "You can do whatever you like. Then if no one follows you, it just means that you're not qualified."

"It's a small tip," Shinji added, "Besides," Shinji stopped to turn his head back sparingly at Kisuke, "I can tell that yer not the type to listen to what other people say."

Kisuke's eyes narrowed a tinge. Hirako Shinji certainly lived up to his reputation of reading people well. Kisuke wasn't quite sure though if Shinji's words were meant to be taken as a compliment or not. Whether they were or not, Shinji's advice was a lot more useful that Kisuke had first realized. It was only when he ran over the gobantai taicho's words a few more times that he got the subtle lining within them. Assertion of control was the key. Now, how to go about it.

"Eh, whatever," Shinji said, breaking Kisuke's thoughts and continuing to walk away. "Don't worry too much anyways. I can see yer the same type as me so just meddle in yer own business."

"Perhaps your new office would be a good place to start, Kisuke-san," Kumiko suggested before turning on her heel and catching up to her friend, faintly hearing a 'jeeze' roll off of Kisuke's tongue as she did so.

She was just about to catch up to Shinji when the man stopped, standing slack but alert in place, calling out towards the trees, "Exactly how long do ya plan on watching us from over there, Sousuke?"

Kumiko felt a strange tingle up her spine at the mention of the name. She searched for his reiatsu and turned towards his direction when she found it. He looked after his captain, who had already re-continued his walk, stricken by the fact that he had been caught eavesdropping. Sousuke made no move to follow his taicho and the woman he had been intimate with just the night before, opting to stay in his current position.

"As I would expect from you," Sousuke sighed guiltily, "When did you realize?"

"When you were still in your momma's womb," Shinji said coldly, beckoning for his subordinate with a lethargic wave of his hand. "C'mon, let's go."

"Yes sir," Sousuke lamented, following his taicho and Kumiko a few paces away.

Sousuke smiled at the stiffness in Kumiko's body as they paced their way through the different pathways of the Gotei divisions. The tension between Kumiko and Shinji was also apparent which pleasured Sousuke's maniacal need for commotion and unrest. Of course he knew that being intimate with the tenth division taicho would put him in an even tighter position with his captain, but that was the fun behind it. Toying with Kumiko, the person that Sousuke gathered Shinji cared for most, would be the ultimate victory for him with Shinji. What made it so much easier was Shinji's keeping Sousuke at an arm's length at all times. It would prove interesting when the time came to show his stripes.

"Taicho," Sousuke called out, grinning invisibly when his voice caused the rigidity of Kumiko's body to increase.

"What?" Shinji asked languidly, not bothering to look at Sousuke when he was addressed. His anger towards Sousuke for choosing Kumiko, of all people, and his disappointment in Kumiko for trusting Sousuke at all was beginning to come back to him. He was finding it harder and harder to keep his agreement with Kumiko.

"You're a really scary person," Sousuke said, smiling at Shinji's back. There was truth behind his statement to some extent. If anyone actually posed a threat to his plans, it would be the fifth division taicho. But like he had explained to his accomplices time and time again when they voiced their concerns, Shinji's cautious attitude towards him would be Shinji's definitive failure.

Shinji's frown deepened as he, unnoticeably but candidly, said, "You are the scary person."

Shinji's gray eyes inched to the outline of Kumiko's cheek, trailing up to her eyes which were set steadfast at the path before her. There was obvious discomfort there. She never was very good at hiding her feelings with him. The simple fact that she wouldn't look at him was enough indication to how what she was thinking about and at that moment, it was a need to be elsewhere. They passed the tenth division and still Kumiko never left Shinji's side. She hadn't had the chance to spend much time with Shinji lately and took this as her opportunity to catch up with him a little. He beat her to the punch though.

"I think ya both have some stuff to talk about," Shinji said and added quickly before flashing off towards his quarters, "I'll see you at my division when you're done."

With Shinji leaving before she could comprehend what he was saying, Kumiko was left slightly fazed in the middle of a particularly long walk-way with the one person she was hoping to avoid. Sousuke relaxed his shoulders with the departure of his captain, taking a few purposeful strides forward to walk in sync with Kumiko. He angled his head towards her, his kind smile beaming a little brighter than normal.

"Hello, Kumiko-taicho," Sousuke said, his arms resting peacefully at his back.

Kumiko looked up into swirling brown eyes, her hair clouding her vision just a little as a light breeze picked a few strands of hair from its braid, "Hello Sousuke."

"You're quite tense," Sousuke observed, "Is it, perhaps, because you regret what transpired between us?"

Talk about straight to the point. The taicho stumbled over an imaginary dent in the ground and was steadied by the same arms that roamed her body the previous night. She pulled away as quickly as she could without seeming rude. The goose bumps that scurried up her bare arms annoyed her to no end and she rubbed her palms over them in an attempt to chase the bumps away.

"That's not it," Kumiko replied.

'_Of course it's not,'_ the incessant twin voices of Kashi-Kami whispered in the depths of her mind.

'_Must you two always interject at the most inopportune moments?' _Kumiko hissed.

'_Our gravest apologies,' _came the sarcastic reply of her zanpakuto.

"Kumiko-taicho?"

"Gomen," Kumiko said, rubbing her hands together nervously as their pace slowed to a sluggish walk. "Sousuke, I do not doubt that you are a kind man, but I am uncertain if what happened was because of a mutual sake induced desire or not."

Sousuke's steps stopped and his smile faltered, "Is Kumiko-taicho saying that she thinks I was taking advantage of the circumstances?"

"No, Sousuke," Kumiko said surprised, "That's not-"

"Because I wasn't," Sousuke interrupted. He closed the distance between them and took one of Kumiko's hands into his. Discomfort was the reigning emotion at the moment and Kumiko desperately tried to hide it, not wanting to offend Sousuke any more than she might already have. "I will have to ask you to excuse the forwardness of my next statement, Kumiko-san, but I have to say it. I know that my captain is not very fond of me and I am also very aware of the fact that you are both very good friends. However, I should hope that you believe me when I say that I am not the type of man to share intimacy with just anyone. Perhaps I should have made my admiration of you clear earlier and not taken you by surprise, but your candid nature at the tavern was something I was unable to resist and thus I let my heart rule my actions for the night."

It was becoming increasingly harder for Kumiko to pull her hand away from Sousuke's. He seemed so sincere, and his big brown eyes bore into her with purpose. Sousuke stepped back a little, to give her the space that she seemed to need.

"I realize that you may not feel the same about me," Sousuke resumed his explanation, "In fact, I am almost certain. But with your consent, I should hope to change that."

"Your words are flattering, Sousuke-san," Kumiko managed to say. She was hearing words that she had only dreamed of hearing and though they weren't being said by the man she had envisioned, the words were still being said. It was nearly euphoric. "But if you would be so kind as to give me time to think this through, I would be obliged to give you a more decisive answer."

"Yes, of course, Kumiko-san," Sousuke smiled.

"Arigato, Sousuke-fukutaicho."

"No thanks necessary, Kumiko-taicho," Sousuke replied, "I will leave you to be on your way then. I don't think my captain enjoys waiting long."

"Hai," Kumiko laughed lightly, "He is rather impatient, isn't he? Don't worry, I used to be in your position. I know what it's like to deal with him. Are you not going to retire to your bed yet?"

"Iei," Sousuke said, the corners of his lips curling upwards faintly, "I have some other business to attend to."

He caught Kumiko in an awkward hug and kissed her brow lightly before turning in the other direction, making his way, with a malicious grin on his face, towards the whereabouts of Gin and their new recruit. Kumiko remained in her spot, sinking down to sit on the grass before opting, instead, to lay on her back and stare up at the stars for a little bit. Sousuke was certainly a surprise. After a long while of ignoring and distrusting him at Shinji's request, here was, suddenly, with no sign of agenda or foul play. His words were flattering, and Kumiko needed to decide whether it was the flattery that was winning her over if there really was something that she could somehow parallel to a worth-while endeavour.

'_I do not like that man, Miko-dono,' _Kashi-Kami's voices whispered in her head.

Kumiko frowned, _'You never like anyone.'_

'_Not once did we ever express unsatisfaction with the pretty fukutaicho nor the vulgar perverted one.'_

'_A lot of good that will do me know,' _Kumiko scoffed, _'Where were you two when Byakuya told me there was no relationship between him and I? And where on earth would you get the idea of me having any inkling of like for the blondie.'_

She received only a snicker in response. It was only half an hour later that she remembered Shinji was still waiting for her at his barracks. He was expecting a report, no doubt, and this evening was starting to feel a lot like the times she was still a member of the fifth division. It was not a rare occurrence for Shinji to send his subordinates out at strange hours in the night. Sometimes out of necessity, other times just to mess with his division. The idea of 'reporting' back to Shinji at an hour where she hoped to be asleep in her own bed was much like reliving the nights Shinji would send her to spy on his current fancy and then describe, in full detail, what the unlucky woman looked like in her birthday suit.

Years had passed since Kumiko's promotion and still she could walk the halls of the fifth division barracks with her eyes closed. She could hear the faint sound of music playing from what she guessed was the excessively noisy music playing contraption that Shinji picked up in the real world, further intensifying his youth oriented state and desire to be 'hip'. Rolling her eyes as she drew nearer to the doors of her former captain's quarters, she rolled her eyes and empathised with the many Shinigami that Shinji kept up on the nights he was feeling particularly musically inclined. The memory of Shinji singing along to songs from the real world was painful ones that she had no intention of reliving.

The music was louder now as she reached for the door knob, twisting it rapidly and then entering, not bothering to give Shinji any warning to her presence behind the door. Kumiko was preoccupied with picking out a few pieces of grass that had caught in her hair from her previous resting place in the ground when she walked into the room and was thus distracted from the current state of things in the space of Shinji's habitation. Shinji, who was dancing to the current melody playing from the old school turntable he bought from a store in Karakura Town, turned at same precise moment that Kumiko finally brought her eyes up from her braid. Her eyes widened along with Shinji's rare occurring embarrassed grin as he discontinued his towel twirling dance. The color drained from Kumiko's face and much to her horror – or pleasure, she wasn't quite sure – found herself staring at his naked body in all of its battle toned glory. She squeaked, and spun around, her cheeks reddening.

"Is this some sort of retribution?" Shinji asked airily, not bothering to cover up. He had realized, upon the paling of Kumiko's face, that she was far more embarrassed by the situation that he was. Of course, it wasn't his exposed body that embarrassed him, he was rather proud of his physique, rather, it was the dance that he was enjoying earlier.

"W-what?!" Kumiko yelped, bringing her hands up violently to shield her eyes, the blush in her cheeks deepening.

'_What was that about an inkling towards liking your dear ex-taicho?' _

"Oh shut up," Kumiko replied to her zanpakuto out loud, eliciting a wider grin from Shinji.

"I'm sorry, did I say something?" Shinji teased, knowing very well that Kashi-Kami was giving Kumiko a little something to think about. If he was a bird, Shinji would probably be ruffling his feathers and puffing his chest out right now. "Now, as I asked earlier, is this payback for admiring ya this morning?"

"Baka!" Kumiko called behind her, "Baka! Baka! Baka! The unsightly image of your body has tainted me for life. In no way is this a fitting punishment for the voyeurism you displayed this morning!"

"Are ya sure?" Shinji goaded, "The blush on yer cheek tells me that you have taken this as a reward, not a punishment. If ya were really that interested, Kumiko, ya could've told me before. We could'a taken full advantage of our time together."

Kumiko whirled around to deliver a witty and abrasive retort only to realize that Shinji was still indecent and therefore failed in her attempts to bruise the blonde's ego, turning quickly back around. Unable to say or do anything else, Kumiko made to walk out the door but was stopped quickly by Shinji's calloused hand on her wrist. The man pulled Kumiko backwards and into his front, wrapping his free hand around her shoulders, securing her against his much taller body. Squeaking appeared to become a habit of Kumiko's as she acknowledged the fact that only the fabric of her hakama separated her body from Shinji's bare pelvic region. The recently faded blush returned to her cheeks tenfold and she squirmed in his grasp.

"Let me go, Shinji," Kumiko nearly begged, her eyes clamped shut, attempting to ignore the feel of a certain appendage against her back.

"I refuse," Shinji replied, his voice even, "I believe ya have news to share with me."

"Put some clothes on first!" Kumiko slipped out of Shinji's grasp and made a bee line for the door yet again.

Once more her plans were thwarted when Shinji flashed into her path and used Kumiko's momentum to swing her back around as he caught her by the waist, pinning her against the wall. He took both of her wrists into his hands, pushing them up above her head and against the wall as well. Again, Kumiko was reminded of the unique male extremities as they stood in their rather awkward position. An involuntary shiver ran down Kumiko's spine, distracting her from the onslaught of teasing her zanpakuto was throwing at her from the depths of her mind.

Shinji bent down, his mouth centimetres from Kumiko's ear as he spoke, "Now, what is it that ya have to tell me?"

"I...I believe that Sousuke has no intentions of malice towards me and that his actions were in no way intended to hurt me," Kumiko said, stuttering all throughout the sentence.

"And how do ya feel about this?"

"Shinji, didn't we agree to disagree about this matter for the time being?"

"The time being ended five minutes ago," Shinji replied, "Now, answer the question."

"I am uncertain of the matter as of now," Kumiko tried to speak evenly, painfully aware of the way Shinji's breath tickled at her ear and neck. "I told him that I need time to think about it and whether or not I could possibly see myself with him in any romantic setting."

Shinji frowned and stepped back to turn Kumiko to face him before crushing her again with his body. He released her wrists this time, opting instead to press his hands against the wall on either side of Kumiko's body.

"Ya know how I feel about him, Kumiko," Shinji warned, "Ya still insist that ya want to think about this?"

"H-hai," Kumiko replied, thinking only about how uncomfortable it was to have a man's naked body pressed against her front and trying hard to keep her breath from becoming laboured. "You're not always right, Shinji. And if memory serves me right, I no longer have to take orders from you."

"Well that's a damn shame then, innit? If this is what ya want," Shinji stated simply, stepping back from Kumiko, picking up a discarded sleeping hakama and pulling it on. He tied the hakama loosely onto his waist as he turned to look at Kumiko warily, "Just don't say I didn't warn ya if and when things take a turn for the worse."

Kumiko took the time to even out her breathing before she asked, "Are you angry with me?"

"Nah," Shinji replied, pulling his kosode on, "I'm just worried for ya. I'd rather not see ya get hurt again. Don't think I didn't notice yer interaction with Kuchiki. And ya already know my honest an' humble opinion that Sousuke ain't good for ya."

"You need to let me make my own mistakes, Shinji," Kumiko said, stepping towards Shinji and smoothing out the creases in his kosode like she used to. "You believed in that philosophy remember? You told me that a long time back."

"That don't apply to people that ain't my subordinates," Shinji said simply. "Yer free to stay here for the night if you wanna. That heavy breathing earlier tells me ya wanna."

Kumiko laughed this time around instead of the embarrassed yelping Shinji's statement probably would have caused. As long as they weren't arguing, Kumiko could live with the idea that Shinji didn't approve of her decision. What was the harm in giving someone like Sousuke a chance? He seemed genuine enough and though Shinji normally was right about people, Kumiko needed to believe that not everyone that showed an interest in her was going to hurt her in the end.

In their world, Kashi-Kami shared a melancholy look on their faces as they eavesdropped on their master's thoughts. They could understand her need to prove that she could love someone without hurting at the end of it. It was just unfortunate that she was looking elsewhere when the answer to her question was lying in a bed not five feet from her. Something about Sousuke put Kashi-Kami on guard and the aura of his zanpakuto did nothing to ease their unrest and though they were unhappy with Byakuya's treatment of Kumiko, it was obvious that the young Kuchiki was in more turmoil with his decisions than he realized.

'_Why can't we just tell her?' _Kashi asked, her green hair flowing in sync with the wind.

'_Because things don't work that way," _Kami replied, ensuring that their wielder would not hear. _'And because it is Miko-dono's obvious wish that she make and learn from her own mistakes.'_

'_Then I hope this isn't a mistake she has to make just yet.'_

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**[Chapter 7 Preview]**

The battle wore down as the remaining lower level hollows were exterminated by members of the tenth and sixth squads. Byakuya surveyed the area, taking a tally of injured and, god forbid, casualties. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kumiko doing the same, standing atop a concentration of her reiatsu in the air. There was a small cut on her upper arm from the menos that had set its eyes on the newest addition to the tenth squad. He shook his head, disapproving of her babying her recently acquired lieutenant. A short distance away, he noticed the group of people that had strayed into this unfortunate path. Apart from a few bruises, they all appeared to be fine, save one small figure that was still crouched over on the ground. With no one to send that way, Byakuya made his way towards them.

He watched the figure attempt to stand, catching it when it lost balance. Blue eyes stared back into his own indigo orbs, some few strands of shoulder length black hair falling into her eyes. He steadied her and let go of her quickly, the frailty behind her eyes though, captivated him. He quickly deduced that apart from the unexplainable drawing aura, there was nothing special about her. The aura reminded Byakuya of someone he couldn't quite place at the moment.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked stoically, stepping back from the woman.

"Hai, arigato, taicho-sama," the woman replied, bowing low after noticing the kenseikan that rested on his regal head.

"What is your name?" Byakuya asked with the same curiosity and captivation that he asked another girl a long while back.

"Takezoe Hisane."

**[End of Preview]**

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A/N: Hmm, long preview. Haha. Okay, that was pretty hard to write too. Just because it's always hard to make things detailed enough for the reader to accurately play the events out in their minds. Happy holidays everyone! I vow to add another chapter after New Years.

-the holy see


	7. Momentary Lapse of Apathy

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer: **Again, I have given up hope of ever owning any part of Bleach. So long Byakuya, I guess we were never really meant to be, huh? –Insert ridiculous laughter here-.

**Note: **I'm sorry for those who felt that I made them wait too long for this. I was a little preoccupied working with school and then a sudden inspiration for a different story. Sorry sorry sorry!

I would just like to remind everyone: Things can come out of left field. Anything can happen. Hint, hint. Anyways, I like to think that this is where the plot truly begins. It is set about nine months after the last chapter and thus, in that amount of time, many things have transpired. I hope that the fast forward of time isn't a turn off, it's just that, the actual act of Aizen's *bleep* happens nine years after Urahara's promotion. Need to find a way to make time go by somehow, right?

As per usual, many thanks go out to the following people: _**Xenocanaan**_, _**Ukitake-chan**_, _**monsterai**_, _**Gimlet**_, _**Leesgirl17**_, _**Sessyhylover978**_, _**Alessa-chan**_, _**Rukia23**_, for either adding the story to their alerts list or adding it/me to their favorites list. It's truly an honor. I'm serious. Haha

To _**bluedione**_: Please know that your review completely took me by surprise and that it really made me feel good about the story. Because of you, I'm actually re-checking my story line, because I want to make it as best as I possibly can. Thank you, too, for adding the story to your C2, I'm so, so thankful for that.

Thank you to another anonymous reviewer **':-)'**–anonymous reviews are awesome too. To _**Anihana**_, boy oh boy do I have some things to tell you. I'll PM you soon, I can't contain my excitement. For _**I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010**_ you have no idea how much your constant reviewing has uplifted my spirits. Thank you so much. _**Gimlet**_ thank you too for the constant reviewing, you really are awesome. Last but not the least, thank you to _**xenocanaan**_ for leaving a note at the last chapter. Hope you keep enjoying the story.

I know that this has gone on forever already, but just one last thing, I promise, then it's on to the story. I have to give another really big thank you to _**Rukia23**_ because I treasure her for being my beta. Honestly, an amazing beta to have. 1. She puts up with my constant need for advice. 2. She leaves you reviews as encouragement even if she's already encouraged you enough just by replying after editing the chapter. 3. She's an amazing writer herself. Amazing writer = amazing beta, remember that. The fact that she's quick and efficient is just an added bonus.

**Song Recommendations:** A repeat of _"Velonica"_by **Aqua Timez.**

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**Chapter Seven  
**_**Momentary Lapse of Apathy**_

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The serenity of the gardens that surrounded Juushiro's home was exceptional as he and Kaien sat on the porch. A helper approached slowly and shyly from the garden path, a tray with a pot of tea and two finely crafted cups in her hands, barely remembering how to breathe as she came in close contact with the two most good looking men in the thirteenth division. Then again, Juushiro had been a favorite amongst the ladies since the time he spent under the Commander-General. All modesty aside, it was common place for ladies to stop and swoon at the sight of the jyusanbantai taicho.

"Thank you," Juushiro said to the maid as she finished filling their cups, his eyes still watching Kaien intently as if he were waiting for an answer.

Kaien, huffed, slightly annoyed with his captain's persistence. He took a long sip of his tea before repeating himself for the hundredth time, "I'll say this one more time. I have no intention of serving as your lieutenant."

Juushiro laughed, knowing better, "Don't say it one more time, you'll just disappoint me."

It was a little game they liked to play, akin to cat and mouse. Juushiro offered and on occasion pleaded and Kaien refused point blank regardless of the fact that he already felt the position and acted accordingly. The thirteenth division third seat certainly liked playing hard to get. At this rate, the thirteenth squad could be without a lieutenant for as long as the tenth squad had been.

"I've told you, there are a number of people more worthy of a promotion than me," Kaien replied.

"A sense of duty," Juushiro noted, complacent and sipping yet again at his tea. "Well, I suppose that is so very like you."

"I wonder sometimes why you didn't take Byakuya or Kumiko as your lieutenant, much less into your squad," Kaien thought out loud, setting his cup down, "It would only make sense. They were both your students and I'm sure they'd do anything to be in your squad."

Juushiro smiled at the mention of a common assumption. Kyoraku frequently reminded Juushiro of this, certain, like everyone else had been, that Kumiko and Byakuya would become members of the thirteenth division. People often forgot that the circumstances didn't allow for that to happen. And besides, the two could only remain Juushiro's students for so long.

"I thought about that for a while, to be honest," Juushiro told Kaien, "but the situations then really worked against it, at least in Byakuya's case. Being from a lineage of nobility ensured that he would become a member of the sixth division, in fact, Byakuya was so adamant in becoming his grandfather's lieutenant that he refused to become a Shinigami if his request was denied. As for Kumiko, Shinji stole her before I could even write the request out."

"He has a habit of doing that doesn't he?"

"I believe so."

"And you were okay with that?"

"Of course I was," Juushiro chuckled, "Shinji is a good captain and teacher. There is only so much knowledge that one can share with another and both Kumiko and Byakuya needed more than just one man's perspective and experience. Apart from that, they needed to make their own mistakes and learn from them. Everything turned out well in the end, as you can see. Kumiko's a captain and Byakuya is already guaranteed to be his grandfather's successor. Had Byakuya not been a Kuchiki, he would have been a captain a long time ago. I am very proud of them both."

Kaien nodded, feeling lucky to be under the guidance of his captain. He was certain that the progress an individual Shinigami made was always partly attributed to his leaders. A reflection of some sorts to what their superiors are like. Juushiro's voice broke his tranquillity.

"By the way," his captain went, "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" Kaien inquired, refilling his tea cup.

"Apparently, amongst this year's new recruits, there's a real genius, the likes of which we haven't seen since yourself."

"I'm really no genius," Kaien replied with modesty and curiosity. The only stand out recruits that he had heard of so far were Komamura Sajin and Kaname Tosen both of whom were already given positions in the tenth and fifth squads respectively.

"Apparently this kid graduated from the Shinigami Academy after only one year."

Kaien choked on his tea. The idea was preposterous, "One year? That's really something."

"Isn't it? He's quite young, but I heard he obtained a seated position as soon as he was assigned to a division."

Kaien sat back and rested his weight on the palms of his hands, "Man. A seated officer at a young age huh? This must be some scary little genius we're dealing with here." Kaien laughed good naturedly, "I guess this puts me one step further away from that lieutenant position, huh?"

"You don't have to sound so happy about it," Juushiro semi-scolded his third seat to which the man in question grinned sheepishly, scratching his neck.

"So what division is he in? Where was this genius kid assigned?" Kaien asked, eager to change the subject.

"Oh, I believe that he was assigned to the fifth," Juushiro answered.

"Wasn't Hirako set on getting that Kaname guy?"

"He was but Genryuusai-sensei was quite convincing," Juushiro smiled, thinking of how Yamamoto had also convinced him in the past not to fight for claim over Kumiko. "Kaname Tosen was placed in the ninth division. The General seems convinced that Shinji's guidance will be the most beneficial for the youngster and that Tosen would be better suited under Kensei's watch."

Silence fell between the two as they finished their drinks and basked in the serenity of their surroundings. It was always the preferred setting to a day and like someone had said, no news was good news.

"So what are we doing today, taicho?" Kaien asked after the short momentary lack of speech.

"I believe that Kumiko, Kyoraku and Shinji will be joining us for some tea," Juushiro said.

Kaien groaned. He wasn't sure how much more of his taicho's herbal tea he could stomach.

---

They had just finished their first cups of tea when the hell butterflies came. _All captains to the first division for an emergency meeting_ was the message that they all carried. In no less than five minutes, the captains were all assembled, standing alert and waiting for the arrival of the commander general. Only Urahara Kisuke seemed to know what was going on but left the talking to be done by the sotaicho as was instructed. Commander-General Yamamoto arrived soon after the initial assembly of the Imperial Guard captains , and took his rightful position at the head of the room.

"The twelfth division has detected a massive influx of hollow activity in the outskirts of the Inuzuri district in the Rukongai," Yamamoto began, delivering the information quickly and succinctly just as the circumstances demanded.

The surprise on the faces of the captains was undeniable. Shihouin Yoruichi was the first to voice her shock, "How is this possible? The growth should have been detected while it was still premature."

"We have yet to find an explanation," Kisuke answered, looking somewhat alarmed himself, his eyes downcast. "The appearance was sudden, a weak pulse for a few moments which then grew exponentially in the next."

"Let's not worry so much," Shunsui smiled behind his straw hat, "We've dealt with similar situations before."

"The Central Forty-Six Chambers have instructed an immediate investigation and eradication of all hollows found. Kuchiki-taicho, Hisashi-taicho, your senior officers have been notified to ready their subunits for combat. You will take your squads straight to Inuzuri and contain the enemy. Shihouin-taicho, Muguruma-taicho, your squads are to perform full sweeps on the seventy eighth and eightieth south districts to ensure that the hollow have not spread. Eliminate any threats. Unohana-taicho, ready your relief squads to be dispatched as needed."

There were collective nods of understanding as the orders were given. Each of the specified captains were ready to leave as soon as they were given the signal. Yamamoto gave his captains a once over to confirm that they all understood their orders.

"All other captains, have your squads on standby lest the threat is worse than we expected. Urahara-taicho, watch for any new appearances. Have a hell butterfly ready to inform me immediately if there are fresh developments."

"Hai, Yamamoto-sotaicho," Kisuke responded.

"Dismissed."

Their exit from the chamber was calm as they, like they were trained to do, kept their composure. No matter how big the threat, the captains were to maintain a calm and level head. It was the only logical thing to do to ensure a successful mission. Shinji fell in step with Kumiko as they made their way out of the meeting hall.

"Have fun," was all he said to which Kumiko nodded with a smirk before disappearing from his side, flashing towards her division.

She jumped up, knowing well how much faster it would be to travel via rooftops to get to her squad's barracks. She felt the familiar presence of Kuchiki Genrei and made out his face a few feet away from her. There was no trace of the sickness that he had been suffering through in the past few months. He certainly lived up to the high standards of his clan.

"I'll see you on the battle ground, Hisashi-taicho," he said with his deep voice.

"Be well, Kuchiki-taicho," Kumiko responded before they flashed into opposite directions.

Kumiko was satisfied to see that the senior officers had properly readied each of their units quickly and proficiently. Among them, she easily spotted Soujiro, Sajin and Rangiku who had all been promoted to third, fourth and sixth seat respectively in the last nine months. The captain landed easily in front of her senior officers. She quickly stretched her hand out to her side, a feint glow emitting from her palms. Her subordinates watched without surprise as a katana began to materialize.

_A soul slayer is a manifestation of one's soul_, she had told them when she first performed the act, _You should all be able to do this with no trouble in the future, even if most of you choose to keep your zanpakutos physically present at all times._

Kashi-Kami had fully materialized in Kumiko's grasp. She quickly secured her zanpakuto in her obi as she stepped forward to address her squad, "There is a large appearance of hollows in the Inuzuri district. I want everyone to keep their wits about themselves. Remember your training and you will all be fine."

Serious eyes returned her moving gaze and she was satisfied that they were all fully prepared when she continued, "I would prefer that each and every one of you return here unscathed. If you feel that you must, for some reason, acquire wounds then let's keep them to a minimum. Is that clear?"

"Hai, Hisashi-taicho!" was the collective response.

Kumiko eyed her three most promising officers, beckoning Soujiro forward. The normally fidgety third seat was impressively composed, a hand resting on the hilt of his zanpakuto as he stepped forward.

"Soujiro, you are my acting lieutenant," Kumiko said as she tied her hair into a more secure ponytail. Soujiro smiled and nodded. "Unless you feel that you are not up to the task."

"It is an honor to act as your lieutenant, taicho," Soujiro responded, a smile present in his eyes rather than his mouth.

"Good," Kumiko allowed herself to smile in reply, grasping Soujiro's shoulder, "Make me proud. Sajin, take command of Soujiro's unit. The rest of you, double up and merge. Let's move out. I'd like to be first on the scene."

They moved rapidly with the efficiency that was only achievable by constant drilling. Despite the circumstances, Kumiko could feel the pride that swelled in her chest as she watched her squad move forward. They passed the twelfth district of the Rukongai quickly, but not as fast as the captain would have liked. Kumiko stood on a pool of her reiatsu, watching the Shinigami continue to move forward as she called for Soujiro to join her, Rangiku and Sajin taking charge of leading the units.

"Stay back with the units," she decided, "I'll shunpo ahead with Sajin's unit. I want to be able to survey the grounds and strategize before the squad arrives. Stay alert, Soujiro."

"Hai, taicho."

---

"Report."

"Acting lieutenant Takeshi is leading eight units," Byakuya told his grandfather as their own division ran forward and through the Rukongai. They weren't far behind the tenth division. "Hisashi-taicho has taken her two advanced units up ahead to get to the threat faster."

"Good," Genrei approved, "I would have done the same. Take our advanced guards up ahead and assist Captain Hisashi as a second wave. Let her know that we are not far behind."

There was a quick flash of disapproval in Byakuya's eyes but no verbal hint of resistance to Genrei's orders as he nodded his head and made his way to inform the sixth division's advanced guard of their orders. They moved quickly, flashing through the streets of the many different districts. Byakuya, who led the units, followed closely by third and fourth seats, allowed a scowl to mar his features for just a few moments. His grandfather was aware of the efforts that Byakuya put into avoiding Kumiko and he sent him ahead anyways.

'_What are you so angry about, Byakuya-kun,' _said Senbonzakura, _'Wasn't it you who mentioned that your duties as a nobleman and lieutenant were your first priorities?_'

'_I'm not in much of a mood to banter with you today.'_

'_You were bound to have to interact with her sometime,'_ Senbonzakura continued, '_And besides, I quite like her. You two were wonderful together.'_

'_We were never together.'_

'_You can't hide things from me, Bya-kun. The flowers always bloomed when you were around her.'_

Byakuya ignored the last of his zanpakuto's statements. He felt her reiatsu before he even heard the howls of the hollows and the cries of nameless Shinigami already in combat. Byakuya picked up his pace, nearly leaving the guard trailing him behind as he drew Senbonzakura from her sheath. He positioned himself in the air, concentrating on maintaining his reiatsu made platform. He truly did prefer staying in one place when he fought, but that was only best suited for when he released his zanpakuto. He wasn't going to do that just yet. A hollow materialized in front of him. It barely even had the time to howl before it was purified.

Kumiko was some few hundred feet away, watching her squad hack down hollow after hollow. She let them take care of the minor hollow, only stepping in when the spirit energy seemed a little too high to risk it. Amidst the sweat and stench of hollows, she could smell the light, ever lingering scent of sakura blossoms, his distinct reiatsu followed soon after. Kumiko held her breath for a moment and turned her head in the direction of the sixth division lieutenant. He was breath taking even in battle. His hair had grown longer since she last saw him and it looked as if he had taken to wearing his hair down now rather than the high ponytail he used to prefer. _It gets in the way of my fighting_ he used to say when she teased him about wearing his hair like a girl.

She flashed towards him, cutting down a good half a dozen hollow on her way. She could feel the rest of her squad nearing. By the looks of it, so could Sajin. His masked head had turned to the north before he brought forth another materialization of his shikai down onto a fairly large amount of the enemy.

"Bya-," Kumiko began, correcting herself instantaneously, it felt wrong to say his name. "Kuchiki-fukutaicho."

"Kuchiki-taicho wishes for me to inform you that they are not far behind," Byakuya said, eyeing his surroundings –his units seemed to be holding their own; her slip up had not been lost on him. "He sent me ahead to assist you."

"Arigatou," Kumiko replied, "Have your units spread out. The numbers here are dwindling but something tells me that there are more on their way."

Byakuya did as he was told. He hated the fact that he was taking orders from someone that was below him in class –Senbonzakura gave him a good mental swat at the head for that thought- but in the battlefield, there was no dispute that she outranked him. Nobility had no bearing when combat was involved, no matter what the Kuchiki elders liked to believe. He had to admit to himself though, Kumiko looked to be right in her decision. Even if the rest of their two divisions were nearby, he could feel the rise in spirit energy as well. Something bigger was coming.

"Menos!" cried the sixth division third seat, Hiroki, as a crack sounded through the air and a rip in the sky began to form.

Kumiko scowled. There had to be something drawing the mass of hollow to the Rukongai. Whether it was an intentional bait or not, she had yet to consider, as her first priority was to eradicate the hollow. She heard Soujiro call out to her as the remainder of the tenth division finally arrived. Soujiro was at her side in an instant, drawing his zanpakuto, looking to the ripping dimensional space in the skies.

"I want all units prepared," Kumiko directed quickly, "The ripping in the sky means Menos. Once that space is fully opened, a handful will be stepping through. They should pay attention to the minor hollow first. If a menos attacks them, they should regroup and attack as a unit. I don't want any casualties."

"Hisashi-taicho."

Kumiko turned to face Genrei and quickly acknowledged his presence, "Menos."

"We'll need to take our lieutenants with us up there," Genrei strategized. "When they pass, we should be the first to greet them. Should any pass us, I'm sure that the combined efforts of our squads can handle them."

The first of the menos thrashed its head through the space, its cry nearly defening as it forced its way through. Red light glinted at the bridge of the menos' nose, its mouth opening to enable the charge of cero that built up before its face. After the first, another forced its way through the space left. Byakuya joined his grandfather quickly, certain that they would be heading towards the menos to hopefully get rid of them before they passed the invisible barrier that they would form. Soujiro, too, joined Kumiko after he relayed the taicho's orders to the squad.

"What do you think, Hisashi-taicho," Genrei questioned as he released his zanpakuto.

"I'd say there are about eight of them," Kumiko replied, as her Soujiro and Byakuya followed Genrei's lead. Thousands of cherry blossoms littered the skies in malevolent beauty.

"An equal split of the burden then, I'd say," Genrei announced. "Byakuya, has a perimeter been set."

"Any menos that get past us will be met by the advanced guards," Byakuya responded as Senbonzakura enjoyed flittering through the skies, waiting eagerly to be sent forth by her wielder.

"Cero!" Soujiro warned with urgency as a red beam shot itself from the menos' mouth and towards them.

Genrei took a moment to stand amused when both Kumiko and Byakuya raised her hands in sync, sure that their thoughts were parallel to each others. They had both, after all, been trained by Ukitake Juushiro and though they had adapted his style to form their own, the principal behind it all was still the same. Even if they were opposites –coming from different castes in society, differing in mannerisms and personalities- they were very much alike in thought and style.

"Hado number thirty-three, Soukatsui!"

The combined bursts of powerful blue spiritual energy shot from the cupped palms of their hands, careening forward and covering a wide berth. The cero and soukatsui crashed into one another, the destructive force behind each blast cancelling each other out and fading quickly. Both captains took the dwindling purple light as their signal to attack, shooting towards the menos and followed quickly by their particular second in command.

"Command the earth and skies, Kashi-Kami!" Kumiko yelled. A feint purple light lined her zanpakuto and Soujiro watched as his taicho pulled the light apart into two, her katana transforming and splitting into two separate swords. She swung the two blades with a grace that she only possessed in battle, quickly slicing through a stray hollow. Soujiro guarded Kumiko as she shot higher up into the sky.

"Danku-kin Kamikazee," Kumiko whispered to herself. The wakizashi of her two swords glowed white, its blade disintegrating. She swung it down forcefully, a blade like flash in the sky crashing down onto the first of the menos, severing it into two. Less than a second later, the tenth squad captain delivered an underhanded swing with her second sword at the command 'danku-kin Kashipome', a pillar of green light flushing upwards and slicing the menos once more. The hollow disintegrated with a cry. At this rate, the most tedious part of this whole battle would be over in no less than two minutes.

---

"Baka!"

Byakuya would later berate himself for doing so but he couldn't help it. At the sound of Kumiko's frantic voice, his head spun, searching for the woman. She had just finished dispatching another one of the menos, her acting lieutenant close behind her, breathing heavily. He spotted her quickly, her purple hair made her easy to find, and traced her line of vision that had her so worried. They had underestimated the amount of menos and another hole formed in the sky, two more of the beasts climbing out of it. As his eyes met the object of Kumiko's attention, he scowled and swore under his breath.

It was feasible for a lieutenant to handle a menos without much trouble. Three seated officers was a possibility, but not without suffering from injuries. A singular seated officer –and a fifth seat no less- was practically unheard of. It was best to leave such things to a captain, or at least someone of captain class. It was quick and easily taken care of. Apparently Matsumoto Rangiku had not been told of that fact or at least she didn't pay any attention to it. Rangiku broke away from her unit and ran towards the menos. Even with her zanpakuto released, it would not be able to protect her from the cero that was charging at the hollows mouth. Byakuya heard his grandfather grunt and tore his eyes away from the events for just a moment to dispel one of the two menos ganging up on Genrei with Senbonzakura. Even if Genrei and Byakuya were captain class Shinigami, it didn't mean that more than a group of menos was just as easy to dispatch as a lone one.

Soujiro saw it as soon as he heard his captain swear. They had finished going through their line of menos but some of the damned creatures had come in another way. Rangiku could be such an idiot sometimes. Kumiko flash stepped towards Rangiku. Trusting his captain to take care of things, Soujiro ran towards Rangiku's abandoned unit to take charge for the mean time.

"The goteijyusantai should have been informed of the menos by now," Soujiro said, mostly for his own benefit, scanning the surroundings for any sign of back up. "Where are they?"

Rangiku tightened her grip on her katana, unable to do anything other than stare at the red light forming at the mouth of the menos. She was such a fool to think she could handle it on her own, to want to impress her captain like Sajin and Soujiro had always done. The menos howled and in the next second the cero blasted. She raised her arms up against her face in a vain attempt to protect herself. There was no pain, just a dull throbbing in her head. Rangiku's eyes fluttered open, her eyes widening when she saw her savior.

"Bakudo eighty-one, danku!"

Gritting her teeth, Kumiko held both hands up and concentrated hard on the kido spell she was casting. A golden rectangle manifested in the sky, creating a shield to block the cero blast. Sweat began to form on Kumiko's brow. Danku was a level eighty-one kido spell and despite her prowess in kido, she was worried that the haste in which she cast the spell would take away from its overall strength. Some spells she didn't need the incantations for, but danku was a spell that she was still mastering. She leaned forward, bracing herself. Upon impact, the blast shot her backwards a few feet. She swore. If she was hurtled back anymore, she'd hit Rangiku who was still lying on the ground, paralyzed by her shock.

The raise in Kumiko's reiatsu caught Byakuya's attention once again. They were being backed up by the seated officers now, allowing him to gaze around himself. His scowl reformed when he saw Kumiko take one hand away from her spell.

"Baka," Byakuya muttered, knowing full well that it was taking away from the strength of the kido spell.

Kumiko held her hand up to Rangiku and shouted quickly, "Hado one, Sho!"

The barrier that was protecting her from the blast began to crack. In a few moments it would break and she would be hit by the tail end of the cero. She took one last look at Rangiku's body to make sure that she wouldn't be hit by the impact. Satisfied, Kumiko allowed her spell to dissipate and pooled her reiatsu around her body.

Panic filled Byakuya's body when he saw Kumiko allowing her spell to fade. How stupid could Kumiko be to allow the cero to hit her. Whether the blast wasn't as threatening as the initial hit, it was still guaranteed to injure her. He flashed towards her, getting ready to move her from the area. Genrei was leading the seated officers towards the last menos and finally end the fight. Byakuya was close to Kumiko now but he was beaten to the tenth division captain by the large fourth seat, Komamura and third seat Soujiro. They picked Kumiko, who seemed to be conscious, and moved her to the side where they fussed over her.

"Tch," Byakuya said to himself, unsure of the feeling that was clouding his senses, as he fell back to assist his grandfather.

"Taicho, daijoubu?!" Soujiro asked frantically.

Kumiko gripped at her upper left arm, feeling the blood flowing out of the wound that the cero had caused. She pushed herself up and thanked Sajin and Soujiro, instructing them to find Rangiku and make sure she was okay. They obliged, knowing that their taicho wouldn't let them doddle over her. She was much more prideful that that. Kumiko walked towards where she fell, stooping down to pick up her zanpakuto.

'_I'm sorry, Kashi-Kami,_' Kumiko told her zanpakuto, _'Please understand that I had to set you down in order to protect my subordinate.'_

'_We know our master well, Miko-dono.'_

The battle wore down as the remaining lower level hollows were exterminated by members of the tenth and sixth squads. Byakuya surveyed the area, taking a tally of injured and, god forbid, casualties. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kumiko doing the same, standing atop a concentration of her reiatsu in the air, still gripping the cut on her arm. He shook his head, disapproving of her babying her subordinates. The woman, Rangiku, should be punished for her stupidity. A short distance away, he noticed a group of people that had strayed into this unfortunate path. Thanks to the alert units, apart from a few bruises, they all appeared to be fine, save one small figure that was still crouched over on the ground. With no one to send that way, Byakuya made his way towards them.

He watched the figure attempt to stand, catching it when it lost balance. Blue eyes stared back into his own indigo orbs, some few strands of shoulder length black hair falling into her eyes. He steadied her and let go of her quickly. The frailty behind her eyes though, captivated him. He quickly deduced that apart from the unexplainable drawing aura, there was nothing special about her. The aura reminded Byakuya of someone he couldn't quite place at the moment.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked stoically, stepping back from the woman.

"Hai, arigato, fukutaicho-sama," the woman replied, bowing low after noticing the insignia strapped to his arm.

"What is your name?" Byakuya asked with the same curiosity and captivation that he asked another girl a long while back.

"Takezoe Hisane."

"And your companions?"

"We're all fine, fukutaicho-sama," one of the woman's companions answered, "There were some Shinigami that protected us when we strayed into this area. They were from the tenth squad, I believe."

The tenth squad. Byakuya's brow twitched, anything to do with Kumiko easily increasing his annoyance with her coddling. He took a peak at Kumiko and found her walking towards him. He tried to contain his scowl, succeeding for the mean time. There was no guarantee that the impassive look on his face would last.

"Kuchiki-fukutaicho," Kumiko spoke.

"Hai, Hisashi-taicho," Byakuya responded, turning his gaze towards her. He still read her as well as he used to, noting the light apprehensive nature behind her approach.

"What is the status of your squad?"

"Few injuries, no casualties."

"That's good to hear," Kumiko said, nodding slightly in agreement with herself, "The relief squads have arrived. Please inform your injured that they will be tended to shortly."

"Jyuubantai-taicho?" a voice squeaked.

The mentioned taicho turned her attention to the group of people that had congregated in the area. She was surprised to see them there but let a smile grace her face shortly after she registered their presence. Kumiko was a little too preoccupied with the information that Sajin shared with her, the brunt of it being that he saw Byakuya racing towards her when the cero blast hit. She knew she was being ridiculous to let hope fill her, to allow herself to think that maybe there was a chance for their friendship after all. Byakuya made it very clear that their relationship was a professional one. He was probably ordered to assist her by Genrei.

"Hai?" Kumiko questioned.

The man that spoke blushed. The corner of Byakuya's mouth twitched when he saw.

"Arigato, taicho-sama," the man looked like he was stumbling over the words. "Your squad saved us from being attacked by the hollows."

"They were only doing their jobs," Kumiko replied, "It's them you should thank, not me, but I will send word of your gratitude."

"You are very kind, taicho-sama."

"Iei," Kumiko chuckled, "It's no bother. You all seem relatively fine, but maybe you should have yourselves looked at by the fourth division, ne? Especially, your friend, she looks a little worn."

Kumiko gestured towards Hisane and the man, who would later introduce himself as Kenta, nodded, "Ah, well, Hisane-san is rather sickly. The rest of us are fine though, really. We should be heading back home."

Hisane looked a little troubled at the thought of being left alone. Kumiko placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled encouragingly, "I promise they won't bite. I just want to make sure you're alright. If it makes you feel any better, I'll have you treated at my own division's barracks and check on you later, personally. As you might have noticed, I have to have my own wounds treated."

"H-hai, taicho-sama, thank you very much."

The short and petite woman was being led towards the relief squads by Soujiro at Kumiko's orders when Genrei arrived followed shortly by Shinji and Sousuke. Genrei was completely unharmed, though it was no surprise, and quickly asked Byakuya for a report on their squad's status. Sousuke lacked his usual formality when he strode forward and enveloped Kumiko in his arms. The sixth squad captain was quick to notice the quick break of his grandson's facade, a frown marring his features, and then the rapid replacement of his apathetic mask. Maybe Byakuya wasn't as set on his resolve as he made himself and everyone else believe.

"Kumiko-san," Sousuke breathed, "When they told me you were hit by a cero blast, I was expecting the worst."

"Sousuke," Kumiko gasped, "I can't breathe."

Sousuke loosened his hug just a little and Shinji rolled his eyes, "Quit bein' so melodramatic, Aizen. It's just a flesh wound, right, Kumiko?"

"Yeah," Kumiko agreed, stepping away from Sousuke, not comfortable with the public display of affection. It wasn't something she wanted her squad seeing. It wasn't something she wanted Byakuya seeing –the thought sent shiver up her spine. "Nothing Unohana-taicho can't fix quickly. What are you two doing here? It's a little late for you to be sent as back up."

"Ol' Yama asked us to do a final sweep of the areas when the second and ninth divisions finished up their initial search," Shinji answered flippantly, tilting his head to the side and his eyes looking lazily down at his short companion. "There were some problems with the twelfth division so they didn't catch the menos until it was too late. Then my lieutenant was missing in action so I had to delay the dispatch of my units."

"Gomen, Hirako-taicho," Sousuke said, looking like he had already apologized more than once. "There was a disturbance in the barracks, like I mentioned earlier."

Kumiko looked a little surprised, "What kind of disturbance?"

"It's nothing, Kumiko-san," Sousuke replied gently, his kind smile reaching his eyes, "Nothing you should worry yourself over."

"Tch," Shinji muttered, "Any sweeter and I might just gag. Get outta here Aizen. Give the squad orders to return to the barracks. The ninth division is gonna go wild with the paperwork, I can just feel it, so you go ahead and get started on that too."

Sousuke, not one to argue with his captain, nodded and disappeared like he was told. Sighing, Kumiko shook her head. Shinji really never had very much tact before and he certainly hadn't changed when it came to that matter. The blonde anchored Kumiko to his side, hanging an arm around her neck and on her shoulder. She ignored the sting in her arm and swatted at Shinji's head.

"What was that for?" Shinji asked, annoyed.

"For being an ass," Kumiko replied.

They stared at each other angrily. The stares lasted for a good several moments as they walked towards the tents that were set up by the relief squads. And then, in the same moment, grins cracked over their faces. They argued about it enough before. Shinji pulled Kumiko closer to his side and she wrapped an arm around his waist in return. He could dish a lot of crap, but in the end, the fact of the matter was that he and just a few others were all Kumiko had and in return, she and a few others were all Shinji had. She sighed as she rested her head against Shinji's body, allowing him to lead her as they walked.

What was strange though, was how heavy Kumiko's heart was. She wasn't entirely sure how long she could keep up the charade she was constantly falling in step with. A slick breeze caught her hair, tickling her cheek lightly. She lifted her gaze to the skies as they continued to walk and beckoned from the higher beings –whether they existed or not- an answer. She wanted to know how foolish she was for trying to convince herself that Byakuya didn't mean any of it and that they were still friends. She wanted to know if what she had with Sousuke was a way to prove to her self that she wasn't damaged goods, that someone could really love her.

---

Byakuya berated himself for being so interested in matters that did not concern him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something not quite right about Aizen Sousuke. He watched as Kumiko walked away with Shinji, looking happy and carefree. His scowl returned –an unfortunate growing habit. If this was a decision that was for the best on his part, Byakuya begged for an answer to just one question: Why was he so unsure about whether or not he made a mistake.

"Rules are rules," Byakuya verbally reminded himself. Rules were in place for a reason. Without rules, chaos would soon take over and everything that people worked for would crumble. If he, a noble and a future successor of the clan, would not follow the rules, then who would?

"Byakuya, are you listening to me?"

Cursing himself, Byakuya immediately straightened his back, "Gomen nasai, taicho."

"I was asking if Kumiko was alright," Genrei repeated himself.

That was the first time that Byakuya heard his grandfather refer to Kumiko by her first name. Even when they were students together, the older Kuchiki would refer to Kumiko as Hisashi-san or Hisashi-chan when she was younger. Genrei watched his grandson expectantly and could see that the sudden change in referral to Kumiko baffled him. The clan head snickered to himself a little. Little by little, he hoped, he could show Byakuya that some rules set by nobles are a complete waste of time.

"There's no need to be so tongue tied over a question Byakuya."

"She's fine."

"And you ?"

"I'm fine."

"She took quite a hit, didn't she? And was practically unaffected too, wasn't she?"

Byakuya had to try very hard to control himself. At the time, he very much wanted to yell at her. "....She was quite...remarkable."

"You're not a very good liar, Byakuya."

"The breeze is cooling, winter should be here soon."

Inwardly, Byakuya winced – he was normally so much better at changing the subject.

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**[Chapter 8 Preview]:**

"I'll race you to the end of the wheat field," she challenged, the slight shine that her earlier laughter still lingered in the depths of her eyes. "First one there gets to order the loser around."

"What a childish game to play," Byakuya replied, fussing over the sleeves of his uniform.

"Byakuya," Kumiko said matter-of-factly, "Are you in so much of a hurry to become like those noblemen that you hate?"

"You're going to regret it," Byakuya said quickly, barely finishing his sentence before he ran off, making use of Yoruichi's lessons here and there.

**[End of Preview]**

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**A/N:** Well, I suppose it's obvious what to expect in the next chapter. (laughs) I hope the chapter was alright, and I'm sorry it took so long for me to update again. I'm actually going to have to grovel at the feet of the authors that I beta for. I went MIA on them for such a long time thanks to school. Apparently teachers like to load you up with work as soon as you get back from break thus the ensuing of hell month.

Hopefully the next chapter will be better. Ayaaaaa.

-theholysee


	8. Confrontations

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer: **Again, I have given up hope of ever owning any part of Bleach. So long Byakuya, I guess we were never really meant to be, huh? –Insert ridiculous laughter here-.

**Note: **Okay. I've been gone for a while, haven't I? Really sorry about that. It couldn't be helped. At least my breaks about to start. Lots more free time to write, right? ALSO! I just realized that my computer had been auto-correcting Hisana to Hisane. Really sorry about that! I'll edit that soon.

I got a bunch of comments last time and I really appreciate it all from the bottom withering depths of my heart. It serves as encouragement and it killed me every day that I wasn't able to write anything. (This is where I would've started cursing about required papers, but that might take up half of this chapter.)

Thanks to the following for the author/story favourites and alerts: _**Kairi-senpai**_, _**lady of dragons**_, _**Anihana**_, _**Theirrymyst**_, _**sakuya06**_, _**LittleKittyShaoMao, Traitor-Hero, ku**__**dokuchan69, StellarAbyss, Hyper-Bitch**_.

To _**Gimlet**_: Keep in mind: Rangiku is still young here. She didn't start out as a genius like Gin or Toushiro so she had to have learnt lessons and made mistakes in her past right? There was a reason for my writing her the way I did previously.  
To _**xenocanaan**_: Sorry it took me so long. Hope you enjoy this one.  
To _**:-)**_: You're the best anonymous reviewer out there.  
To _**LittleKittyShaoMao**_: Thank you for the review you left. I hope that the succeeding chapters don't let you down.  
To _**Anihana**_: I swear, you are seriously my most loyal reviewer. You've been with me since chapter one. Haha. I just want Aizen to get the boot already but unfortunately, that'll kill the plot line.  
To _**sesshylover978**_: Here it is!  
To _**ThierryMyst**_: I hope that you'll stick with the story to the end. :)  
To _**bluedione**_: You always give me these long reviews. And I completely love them. Hehe. Because I like the fact that you analyze the chapter. I like getting the reader's interpretation of what's happening.  
To _**Kairi-senpai**_: Tada! I hope this was fast enough. Hehe.

**Song Recommendations:** "Hishoku no Sora" by **Mami Kawa****da**and "Shojo S" by **Scandal**.

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**Chapter Eight  
Confrontations**

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Five days had passed. The field had been cleared. There were no signs of battle left and many of the Shinigami that had been tasked with cleaning the mess up had long since made their return to the Seireitei. Kumiko stood in the center of the clearing, back to the scene of her engagement in battle, worry creeping up her back. Her right first clenched and unclenched, her lips held in a thin grimace as she did so. The medical corps had done well in healing her wound, but there was something that wasn't quite right with the way her arm was moving. It was responding to the orders that her brain was sending, but it wasn't performing them well. Like the wiring had been damaged and had gone unnoticed by the healers.

She drew Kashi-Kami from their sheath and whispered, "Command the earth and skies, Kashi-Kami."

The purple light came, as she expected it to, and slowly, she split the sword in two, her left leg extending backwards as she held both swords high and apart. The only thing unexpected was the trembling in her right arm and the sharp biting pain that shot up from Kumiko's wrist and into her shoulder. She gasped and Kamikaze fell with a thud, her knees kissing the ground shortly afterwards.

"What's wrong with me?" Kumiko asked herself, Kashipome clattering to the ground as she clutched her right, more dominant arm.

In her inner world, Kashi-Kami's, one of the only three of its kind, brows furrowed with worry. The pain of their wielder reflected in their world. Each jolt of pain Kumiko felt was a sharp clap of lighting. They looked at each other. If Kumiko's dominant right arm was wounded in some unknown way, her fighting would be compromised. Any compromise in the power of her stronger arm, was a compromise of Kamikaze's power.

'Perhaps it would be wise to visit Unohana-taicho, Miko-dono,' Kamikaze's airy voice breezed.

"Not just yet, Kamikaze," Kumiko said. "It might just be...a momentary thing."

Standing up with her swords back firmly in her grasp, Kumiko pressed the two together. The same purple light emitted as the two blades melted into each other. The tenth division captain sheathed her sword. She couldn't deny the worry that crept up her spine though. She held her right arm up and directed her palm at a tree in the distance. Her arm trembled despite her wishes for it to remain still.

"Hado thirty-one, Shakkaho."

The shot of red fire burst forth through her open palm, missing her target altogether, and hitting a bush a few meters to its left. Comforted by the small fact that there wasn't any damage to her kido abilities, Kumiko flashed her way towards the Seireitei, hoping that this was just a small injury that would heal itself. She headed for the thirteenth division, certain that some training would help her recovery. Well, hopeful seemed to be the more appropriate word for it.

---

"I'm tellin' you, there's somethin' wrong with her," Shinji said, exasperation a crisp undertone in his already tired voice.

He kicked his feet forward and leaned back against the thin walls of Juushiro's home. Juushiro watched him anxiously, almost certain that a sudden movement on the fifth division captain's part would mean having to redecorate a good portion of his screens.

Shinji had arrived at Juushiro's home thirty minutes earlier with furrowed brows. In the past few days, he had noticed a change in Kumiko, and though he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was, Shinji was fairly certain that the aura he was getting from his friend was one of worry. An infectious worry. He had hoped that Juushiro might have known something. He was the only other person that Shinji could think of Kumiko confiding in. Well, there was one other, but Shinji wasn't excited about the idea of asking for information from someone he vehemently disliked.

"I know this is a touchy issue for you, Hirako-san, but have you, perhaps, tried to ask Aizen-san if he knows what's going on with her?" Juushiro asked, the worry that Shinji was currently emanating had spread to him as well.

"You're right," Shinji grunted, "That is a touchy issue."

"You really distrust him that much?"

"That ain't the topic of conversation," Shinji said, redirecting the conversation back to what he primarily came to talk about.

"I'm sorry, Shinji-san," Juushiro said, his hands cradling a steaming cup of tea, "But she hasn't come to me recently."

They sat in silence for a while, Shinji's frown deepening before he spoke again, "I ain't asking Aizen for any bit of information. We're her closest friends. She'd tell us before she told him...right?"

"I should hope so."

Juushiro sat with as much peace as Shinji's mood would offer, trying with difficulty to enjoy his tea. He had offered Shinji a cup earlier to calm him, but the fifth division captain had crushed the cup in his palms due to the agitation he was currently feeling. They sat in an awkward silence for the second time since Shinji's arrival until the sound of grunts and rustling leaves caught their attention. Juushiro was quite sure of who was exerting herself in the training field, the reiatsu alone was enough of an indication. Shinji's head rose from its previous spot on his palm. His body soon followed suit, making its way over to the shoji screen and sliding it open.

Sure enough, Kumiko danced in the middle of the field, light reflecting off of her twin blades as they danced with her in the air. Juushiro came to stand next to Shinji, watching his former student as she went through the same drills that he used to force her to do. Juushiro raised a brow, there was something wrong with this picture.

"Why is she running resistance drills?" Shinji asked, "She's got enough muscle resistance to last her days."

"I was wondering that myself," Juushiro said lowly, attempting to pay closer attention to her movement. Unfortunately, the lower level of the training grounds was a nuisance to his line of sight. He stepped out of the home and walked closer to the edge of the field.

Kumiko could feel Juushiro and Shinji's presence a few meters above her. Watching no doubt. She scowled but continued running her drills. Shinji had been persistent with his questions. What else did she expect? Of course Shinji would notice something was wrong, he was much too observant not to. That scared her, having them both watch, especially with the pain in her right arm building up. It was going to be far too easy for them to pick out what she'd been hiding and she was finding it harder and harder to keep up the exercises without flinching or faltering.

The dull throb in her shoulder told her she was going to drop Kamikaze for the nth time that day now. As her right arm came full circle, she screamed in a combination of frustration, pain and anger, her sword falling from her closed hand before she could bring it down on the tree trunk she was assaulting. A bead of sweat streaked down her face, and then another. Gritting her teeth, she bent down to pick her sword back up, forcing herself not to look upon the faces of her mentor and her best friend.

Never, since he had finished teaching her, did Juushiro ever see Kumiko drop her sword. She was adamant in her beliefs that her zanpakuto was to be treated with utmost care, apologizing to her zanpakuto's spirit in her earlier training whenever she dropped it. He wanted to move forward and check on her when she screamed out in pain and even more so clutched her right arm to chest. Shinji, however, had prohibited any movement.

"She's too proud to let you help her, you know that," Shinji muttered, his eyes attentive and glued to the third female to join the rank of captain.

---

A labored cough vibrated through the Kuchiki manor. Byakuya was pushing the limits of his restraint as he waited outside of his grandfather's quarters. Since surprising outbreak of menos grande in the Rukongai, Genrei had fallen back into illness. It was worse this time, so much so that Retsu had insisted on sending one Shinigami from the medical corpse to keep an eye on the captain at all times. The fourth division captain had come to the manor today for a check up. Byakuya noted that a few more seconds would mark the second hour since Unohana's entrance into the room.

The younger Kuchiki could hear the muffled voices from outside the door which did nothing but further agitate his already failing mood. A servant had passed by, laying a tray with a cup and a pot of tea beside his kneeling form. Byakuya realized that he must have looked absurd, coming to rest directly outside the door of his grandfather. Actually, it reminded him very much of his earlier days, when he would wait for Genrei to wake up and take him out to the sixth division barracks to train.

The door creaked open and Byakuya stood immediately. The nameless fourth division member came out and called for the servant that had just set down the tray. He handed her the basin that they used for water and asked from a fresh bowl of hot water.

"I'd like to come in," Byakuya said, watching the Shinigami as he tried hard not to look straight into Byakuya's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-fukutaicho," the Shinigami said quietly, "Unohana-taicho and Kuchiki-taicho have requested that no one come in for now. They feel that it is something you should not see."

Byakuya lowered his head and clenched his fists as the door shut once again. He spent a lot of his time previously avoiding acknowledging that something was very wrong with his grandfather. Now that he needed to know what was wrong and expressed desire to spend time with his grandfather, he was being denied. Karmic retribution was the first thought that popped into Byakuya's crowded mind. Growling in frustration, he turned on his heel and tried to control the weight of his angered steps. He ducked quickly into his room and grabbed Senbonzakura before stalking out of the manor grounds and flashing towards the one place that he was sure would help him release some pent up aggression.

"_One of those times where you'd prefer silence_?" Senbonzakura's voice sounded.

Byakuya grunted in response.

"_Silence it is_."

Byakuya noted that he wasn't the first to the training grounds as he approached. He saw Juushiro and Shinji standing at the edge of the sunken grounds and felt the familiar reiatsu. There was a small amount of time spared between the two he stood next to in order for them to greet each other with quick nods. Their attention was rapidly returned to Kumiko who was running drills. Byakuya snorted minutely. What use were drills to captain who had already mastered them? Then he noticed the hesitation in her right arm.

Moments from the battle five days ago replayed themselves in his head. Of course. did she really think that she was going to get away from that without suffering consequences? He took a step forward, ready to drop in and interrupt her. Juushiro's hand shot out and landed on Byakuya's wrist.

"I think you should come back later, Byakuya-fukutaicho," Juushiro said seriously. "Now is not a time for either of you to stress yourselves further."

"Tch." Byakuya replied. "Are you playing favorites now, Ukitake-senpai?"

"We both know that's not the case," Juushiro said, "She's injured, I'm sure you noticed."

"Then I'll help her work through it," Byakuya snided, "Those drills won't do much for her."

And before Juushiro could say anything else and with Shinji's eyes trailing him closely, Byakuya stepped off the edge and walked towards Kumiko. Byakuya drew Senbonzakura and flash stepped by Kumiko. He took aim and swung at the air twin, knocking the sword from her hand. In reflex, Kumiko sliced Kashipome with an underhand stroke, almost nicking Byakuya's knuckle.

"What are you doing here," Kumiko asked, her anger pouring out with her reiatsu.

"Same thing you are," Byakuya replied, "Only I'll be doing it with an injury free arm."

Kumiko hissed, bending quickly and reclaiming her sword, poising herself in an offensive stance. Byakuya noticed that Kumiko's normal attitude of complacency was lost this time around. Good, he told himself. Though he never would have admitted it, he walked out of the Kuchiki manor looking for a fight, and now he was fairly certain he would get what he was looking for.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you, Byakuya," Kumiko said, struggling to control her voice. Wronged or not, at the back of her mind, there was a proper decorum to be upheld. They were both captains, yes, but he was nobility and she certainly wasn't.

Byakuya drew Senbonzakura and held her up right before his face, "Not in the mood? Or do you know you're going to lose, _captain._ If that arm of yours is going to make you back down from a challenge, perhaps it would be wise for you to tell Yamamoto-sotaicho that you're relinquishing your title.

Aizen Sousuke had appeared and took a position in between his captain and Juushiro. He had felt the spike in the reiatsu from the fifth division and sighed with light annoyance. An encounter between Byakuya and Kumiko could either go very well for him or rather dismally. That in mind, he made his way quickly to the thirteenth division under the pretence of needing Shinji's signature.

"Hirako-taicho," Sousuke pleasantly surprised himself with his brilliant acting, "I was hoping to get your signature. What's going on?"

He peered over the edge and forced a concerned frown, "Ukitake-taicho?"

Juushiro sighed and shook his head at Sousuke, "It's something we probably shouldn't interfere with."

"There's never been an injury that I haven't been able to work out by myself, Byakuya," Kumiko snapped, dropping any sense of formality now. Her fists tightened around her two swords. They whispered in here ear, one angered with Byakuya and the other trying to make her see reason. "And why are you suddenly so interested in matters concerning me? You were perfectly content with ignoring me for the past few years."

The expression on Byakuya's face fell slightly. He was well aware that his recent interest stemmed from five days prior to this encounter and truth be told, he needed someone he could take his anger out on. She seemed to be the perfect candidate. He noticed the new presence above and quickly noted that it was Aizen. Ah, another person he was so angry with. For the life of him, he couldn't remember an instance that would merit his annoyance or displeased state.

"_Perhaps it is because he's sharing a bed with_ _her_?" Senbonzakura suggested.

Byakuya ignored his zanpakuto's spirit and concentrated on Kumiko, "You're fooling yourself. You fool yourself every day. You used to fool yourself about being able to keep your dirty past a secret from me, and now you're fooling yourself with Aizen. I know you don't love him."

The fukutaicho had tried his best to make the last statement the sharpest one, but his voice had given out on him. It had come out as nearly a whisper, and Kumiko's face was indescribable. Like she was realizing something for the first time and couldn't find a way to dispute it. Sousuke's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Kumiko's reaction didn't bode well for him, but his better judgement told him to stay still and watch for the time being.

Kumiko vaguely registered the tear that trickled its way down her cheek. Her knuckles had gone ghostly white, a reaction to the deadliest of grips she had on her swords. He was provoking her. She knew that this was the reaction he wanted. Though a better part of her begged for her to stay still and turn the other cheek, a combination of all her feelings, past and present, came tumbling down on her shoulders. Then, she screamed.

Byakuya was slow to react against Kumiko's charge. The tear that had fallen from her eye was surprising and something that he had not at all expected; Yelling and violence, yes, but not the shedding of tears. He barely released his zanpakuto on time.

"Chire, Senbonzakura."

The adrenaline that rushed through her was enough to make her forget the pain in her arm as she flew towards Byakuya. He was uncharacteristically slow to defend himself, but Kumiko didn't hesitate. As Senbonzakura began to disintegrate, Kumiko's dual blades caught Byakuya's, stopping the release. Quickly, she disentangled Kamikaze from the fray and moved to bring her favoured sword in a loop and into Byakuya's side.

Kumiko had to give Byakuya credit, he was much faster than he used to be, and he was already speedy to begin with. Byakuya let one arm release the hilt of his sword and caught Kumiko's wrist before the sword could penetrate his skin. With a growl, Kumiko swung her leg out from under her and landed a strong knee to his gut. Byakuya grunted but kept himself from doubling over, instead, he exerted energy in throwing Kumiko as far back as he could. He took the opportunity to finally release Senbonzakura.

From his place above, Shinji grimaced. This wasn't going to end pretty. Even though he had earlier stopped Juushiro from interfering, he was heavily regretting that decision as he watched each Shinigami strike and attack with precision that could only be expected from captain class soul reapers. Every time one of them would land a blow, the other would retaliate quickly and deliver an equally taxing hit. They were undeniably even in strength, though perhaps Byakuya had a bit of an upper hand because of Kumiko's injury.

"Their combined reiatsu," Sousuke said, genuine awe filling his voice, "They could do a great amount of damage if they were working against a common enemy." _I'll have to work a way around that_, he added to himself in a silent after thought. He stepped closer to the edge, trying to pay closer attention. Any information gathered was always useful.

"I think it's time to step in," Shinji ignored Sousuke, ready to step in, his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto.

Juushiro shook his head, "No. Let's wait and let them fight it out a little while longer. I think that this might give them both the release they need."

"What're you blabbin' about?" Shinji asked, trying to listen to Juushiro whilst watching the pair battling it out in the training grounds.

Juushiro cast a careful glance at Sousuke and continued when he was certain that the fifth division vice-captain wasn't paying attention to the conversation, "They both have so much emotion bottled up. Any normal person would have imploded by now. The stress from outward situations has doubled the tension between the two of them. It's increasing their ill feelings towards each other. Kumiko is angry about the unexplained desertion on Byakuya's part and Byakuya is angry at himself for being unable to face his own feelings."

Shinji's grimace deepened as he empathized with both parties.

"I'm sure that Byakuya has been on edge recently with the failing health of his grandfather," Juushiro kept going, "Kumiko's worried what this injury will mean for her captaincy. They both needed a punching bag and they got what they needed."

"Sometimes you talk too much," Shinji muttered, waving at Juushiro in an effort to get him to stop talking. "I get what you're tryin' to say, but I can't watch out for the pair of them while you're babblin' away like that."

"Gomen," Juushiro nearly laughed. He cringed instead when Byakuya sliced at Kumiko's already injured right arm.

Kumiko clutched her bleeding arm. Her adrenaline was fast running out, the pain in her arm returning faster as each second passed. There were thin lacerations all over her body. Senbonzakura was difficult to dodge, especially when Byakuya used his hands to control her movements. Not to be outdone though, Kumiko was pleased to note that Byakuya was also decorated with a fair amount of wounds from both Kamikaze and Kashipome. A sudden wave of pain jolted through Kumiko's body, stemming from her right shoulder. She tried hard to stay upright but failed, falling onto her knee. Kumiko did her best to pull herself back up as Byakuya approached, Senbonzakura still circling around him.

"I'm curious," Byakuya said, his voice deep and regal even in the midst of all the violence, "Are you trying to alleviate something or do you really love him? Was I right? Are you just trying to reassure yourself that someone could possibly love you?"

Sousuke scowled. He knew that Kumiko felt exactly the way Byakuya was saying. He didn't need Byakuya saying things that would further push Kumiko to doubt the relationship. He stood upright, straightened his back. His sword was halfway drawn and he was nearly at Byakuya when Shinji blocked his path, their swords crashing against each other.

"I don't care if he took a shot of your ego or if you're trying to defend the depth of your relationship with Kumiko," Shinji said with the same nonchalance he used with Sousuke. "You're gonna stay out of it. Got it?"

"Hai, taicho," Sousuke answered unwillingly.

"Good," Shinji said, sheathing his sword. "Get outta here. Go finish the paper or something. Forage my signature if you have to. I know you've done it once or twice."

Sousuke controlled the frown that was marring his features as he turned and forced himself to walk away. He would have to find a way to correct whatever damage was done today, as upsetting and hassling as it was.

Byakuya's words cut deeper into Kumiko that any of the hits his zanpakuto delivered. Mostly because she knew he was right. She really did just need to know if someone could love her. She felt shamed at the thought of using someone, but maybe if she tried hard enough, she could love Sousuke as much as he loved her. But the thought of Byakuya being right had brought Kumiko a new level of anger. Her reiatsu spiked and she felt Byakuya's increase in return. They both knew where this was going, and their audience knew it too. Byakuya re-assembled Senbonzakura into a blade, turned it and allowed it to slip from his finger tips. A purple light engulfed Kumiko's swords as she pushed them back together. The light flickered as faded into a bright green light.

Juushiro and Shinji met each other's gazes and leapt from their posts as soon as the opponents' lips opened to whisper a word in unison, "Bankai."

The force from the release of the bankais was enough to throw Juushiro and Shinji back enough for the fight to resume. Byakuya hadn't seen Kumiko's bankai since he snuck in on her captain exams years before, but he remembered the raw power behind the elemental nature of her zanpakuto spirits and the awe that the sight of it inspired. The animal that had manifested out of the air very much resembled a griffin, only instead of an eagle's head and wings, it was a phoenix that had merged with the body of a lion. The rulers of land and sky, it was only fitting. Kumiko's two blades had joined into one, morphing into a slimmer version of its unreleased counterpart, a fuchsia ribbon dangling from its hilt.

Shinji and Juushiro made it back in time to watch the two former friends come at each other with all they both had left. Unfortunately, Kumiko's injury had finally taken its toll and her arm gave out, leaving her completely defenceless. Shinji pushed himself to move faster and thanked his lucky stars when he managed to deflect most of Senbonzakura's fury with his own sword.

Kumiko was doubled over in Shinji's arms, breathing heavily. She cursed once and then another time, spitting out the blood that had trickled into her mouth from her cut lip. Her right arm hung limp from the shoulder. With the help of Shinji, she was able to stand up straight. In her left arm, Kashi-Kami had returned to its sealed state. She made sure her grip was tight enough that she wouldn't drop her sword again.

Gray eyes met green ones as Shinji tried to get Kumiko to look at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked her gently.

The anger faded from Kumiko's eyes and was quickly replaced by embarrassment and fatigue. She sank into him and let her body take the rest it needed as she said weakly, "Gomen."

Shinji caught her weight easily. Byakuya watched them both, taking deep breaths. Senbonzakura returned to her sealed state and he sheathed his zanpakuto. He was very aware of each separate sting from the wounds that Kumiko had inflicted on him. He knew he deserved each one of them and maybe even more. He had taken advantage of Kumiko's feelings, something he never would have done before.

Byakuya was mildly aware of the glare that Shinji was sending his way, something unbecoming of the fifth division captain. He looked Byakuya up and down before he spat out, "Where's your heart gone, Kuchiki?"

He was gone before Byakuya could comprehend what he said. Juushiro was at his side a few moments later, "Would you like some tea?"

"Iei, arigato, Ukitake-senpai," Byakuya responded, and then he was gone.

Juushiro exhaled heavily. He allowed himself to worry for a few more seconds before he puffed out his breath. Though he was concerned, he was sure that this little confrontation was a big step in the right direction. With the aggression gone, the only way left was up.

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**[Chapter 9 Preview]:**

They lied next to each other, the grass comfortable beneath their bodies.

"I need to say something, but you won't want to hear it."

"Try to say it as quickly and painlessly as humanly possible."

**[End of Preview]**

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**A/N:** I know, I know, I didn't use any of the 'preview' for this chapter in here. I just didn't think it would be right to slip it in right now. I promise though, it'll be used in the next chapter along with the preview I just gave.

I know that this wasn't one of my better chapters, but I hope you liked it anyways. I promise that the next one won't take nearly as long as this one did.

-theholysee


	9. Whispers of What Almost Was

**As The Pendulum Swings**

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**Disclaimer: **Again, I have given up hope of ever owning any part of Bleach. So long Byakuya, I guess we were never really meant to be, huh? –Insert ridiculous laughter here-.

**Note: **As promised, this chapter is a blast from the past. Wow, talk about a cliché (referring to 'blast from the past').

Thanks to the following for the author/story favourites and alerts: bluedione, everlastinglily, satupilvi, nalintood, silver wolf demon.

To Anihana: The shout out was well deserved!  
To Kairi-senpai: Told you I'd update again!  
To Gimlet: I forgot if I replied to your review hehe. The other sword's name is Kashipome. I believe it closely resembles the Japanese word for eagle.  
To :-): You are my most consistent anonymous reviewer and I completely love you for it.  
To Sesshylover978: Agh, I wish Shinji would beat him up. Haha.  
To kudokuchan69: Well, this isn't exactly what happens next, but I hope you like it anyways.  
To ThierryMyst: Hope you enjoy this one!

If I missed anyone, I'm really sorry.

**Song Recommendations:** "Nyaami" by **Stereo Pony**.

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**Chapter Nine  
Whispers Of What Almost Was**

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Training with Juushiro and Yoruichi needed two things: drive and perseverance. The two senpais found those traits in their two students as they neared the end of the session for the day. Byakuya and Kumiko were both eager students, open to learning and willing to try anything. One might say that Kumiko was a little bit more enthusiastic, but she was given that slight edge only because she knew that she had no one and nothing to help her get through Shinigami Academy except this.

Juushiro and Yoruichi were settling down into a mood of relaxation now. The taxing part of the lessons, where the pair would correct the mistakes made and exerted physical effort, was over as the younger ones had moved into the sparring portion of their day's activities. They were sitting on the veranda of Juushiro's home, their eyes sharp enough to watch their students while enjoying a well-deserved cup of tea. The private training grounds of the thirteenth division captain had become the home of Byakuya and Kumiko when they weren't in the academy or Byakuya in his home at the manor. The ground was wearing away from the amount of time spent there and soon Juushiro would have to have some of his subordinates dig out a pit to limit the damage done to the surrounding greenery.

Yoruichi yawned and leaned back on some pillows when Juushiro spoke to her, "I suppose Byakuya's a lucky boy, isn't he? From what I know, the Kuchiki elders haven't been affecting Byakuya's regular activities too much."

Juushiro lightly tilted his teacup to his lips as the Shihouin clan head eyed him, "Those nosy elders expect a lot from little Byakuya. You know that."

"Well yes, but it doesn't seem so bad," Juushiro said, knowing how taxing it could be to deal with the elders of the Kuchiki clan. In fact, he shuddered at the thought.

Yoruichi sat up and sighed, "Genrei's been protecting Bya-kun from the influence of the elders as much as he can, especially since Byakuya's parents aren't around to do it for him. He doesn't want the boy to be forced into doing the same things he was. To be restricted and controlled like he was."

Juushiro nodded, half expecting that to be the case. He faintly remembered the scandal of Genrei's relationship with Unohana Retsu. The Kuchiki clan head was devastated when he was forced to end the relationship, growing reclusive but developing his own little ways to rebel against the restraints of the rules. His sponsorship of Kumiko's education in the Academy was one such example, but something he wished to be kept a secret from the girl.

"Yoruichi-san," Juushiro commented, "How is it that you know so much about other affairs?"

"Apart from the fact that I head the secret mobile corps, you mean?" Yoruichi teased. "Shihouin clan women like to gossip."

Yoruichi winked at Juushiro before she jumped up onto her feet. She cupped her hands at the edges of her mouth and sucked in a breath. Juushiro prepared himself for the volume Yoruichi was going to use to instruct their students.

"Enough with those swords you weaklings," Yoruichi shouted, "Put some elbow grease into it and get busy with the hand to hand combat!"

Byakuya quickly wiped away the sweat that trickled down his forehead. In front of him, he saw Kumiko mirror his movements, breathing heavily. They were both exhausted but neither one would admit it. At least not until one of them had emerged victorious from their self initiated competition. Byakuya wanted the bragging rights for having defeated the most promising student of the Academy's current batch and Kumiko simply desired to rub Byakuya's perfect ivory face into the ground. She always did say that he was much too vain and arrogant.

They sealed their zanpakuto, they were the first two students to be honoured with the names of their zanpakuto spirits, and set them carefully off to the side of the training field. Their eyes never left each other as they did so, cautious as to who would make the first move.

"You're going to be in a serious amount of pain when I'm done with you," Byakuya boasted, flexing his hands and circling Kumiko.

"Get on with it, Byakuya," Kumiko laughed as she watched him, standing perfectly still but ready to defend herself. "You're all talk, all the time."

"We'll see about that," Byakuya said before he disappeared.

Kumiko felt Byakuya's proximity before she saw him, quickly spinning around and bringing her arm up to block the wide birth that his fist was swinging at. Using Byakuya's momentum against him, Kumiko's hand deftly worked around her opponents arm and pushed away, her other arm aiming to deliver an open palm up into his chin. Byakuya barely blocked the attack, his eyes narrowing when he saw her readying the offensive strike.

He had enough time to muse that perhaps the Shihouin devil was giving Kumiko extra lessons on the side when the girl flashed towards him, a smile on her face and her fist coming at his face. Byakuya had always clearly had the upper hand when it came to combating with weapons but, though he refused to acknowledge it, Kumiko was the better fighter when there were no swords involved. Her smaller frame was much lighter, making her the faster of the two.

It took a lot of effort from Byakuya to ignore the taunting that Yoruichi was screaming at him from the lake house. Kumiko tried hard not to laugh at the combined images of their immature senpai, Byakuya's contorted face of irritation and restraint as well as Juushiro's pained face as he attempted to block out the loud level of Yoruichi's voice. Yoruichi's goading had done the trick as Byakuya charged at Kumiko with full force.

Knowing that it was going to take a lot of energy to dodge the new onslaught of attacks that Byakuya was throwing at her, Kumiko focused on defensive movements, saving her energy up for one powerful offensive strike. Fortunately for her, the opportunity came faster than she anticipated. Byakuya had thrown a punch with a little too much force so that when he missed, it took him a few seconds longer to recover. Summoning all her energy, Kumiko threw one powerful punch at Byakuya, catching him on the cheek.

Not quite expecting the force of the punch, Byakuya fell backwards onto his back, groaning when his body hit the ground. At least the grass made for some padding. Byakuya groaned as he attempted to refill his lungs with the air that he had been deprived of. He blinked a few times over, his eyes seemingly unfocused. Kumiko cringed at the impact that her friend's body had connected to the ground with. She ran to Byakuya quickly and kneeled down next to him, placing a hand on his chest.

"Are you okay, Byakuya?" Kumiko asked, her eyes scanning over his body to check for any real sign of damage.

The girl got no answer but she did hear Yoruichi yelling something about being a man from where she stood. Kumiko brought her hand to Byakuya's cheek, running her thumb over the curve of his cheekbones as she asked her question again. Byakuya blinked his eyes a few more times before his gray tinged indigo eyes focused on the worried face of his friend.

Kumiko's eyes widened when Byakuya smiled, his expression the result of a preconceived notion of success. Her brain registered what was coming next, but her body didn't have enough time to respond. With a cry of triumph, Byakuya grabbed Kumiko's shoulders and pulled her down, quickly using the momentum of her fall to pull his body up and over Kumiko's much smaller frame. Byakuya's strong arms quickly pinned Kumiko down and his grin grew exponentially.

"I win," Byakuya said, his words simple but voice filled with mirth.

Kumiko's scowl was deep and struggled beneath Byakuya, "That's cheating!"

"Try to recall the devil cat's words, Kumiko," Byakuya chuckled, "She never truly did give a set of defined rules. Just a cue to start."

"So?!"

"So, that means, technically, that there is no such thing as cheating," Byakuya said matter-of-factly. "In an occasion where cheating is not defined, cheating does not exist."

"Since when were you so enthralled with philosophy," Kumiko muttered, trying to push Byakuya off of her.

Much to Byakuya's amusement, Kumiko's efforts were a waste at best, "The elders have been making me take more lessons. Honestly, I feel like they're trying to control my life. Every step I take is bent to their will."

From Juushiro's home, Yoruichi had somehow managed to conjure up a bottle of sake. She poured herself a generous helping before tipping the alcohol back to her greedy lips. She wiped the residue of the drink from her lips with the back of her hand while Juushiro attempted to edge the sake jug further from the second division captain.

"She had him," Juushiro noted cheerfully. The majority of Kumiko's studies were his responsibility, even if Yoruichi claimed otherwise, and he was proud to note that his student was learning quickly. Though Juushiro was Byakuya's senpai as well, the young Kuchiki had a preference to seclusion when training and thus relied heavily on his grandfather to teach him the majority of what he knew. Hand to hand combat was not Genrei's forte.

"Probably why Byakuya makes up for his losses with weapon combat," Yoruichi had drunkenly pointed out one night, weeks ago, when some of the captains were enjoying a night out at the taverns.

Yoruichi crossed her arms, smiling contently as the two students still held their positions on the ground. It was amusing really, how they were worlds apart but so strikingly similar to each other. Unfathomable was the word that her lieutenant, Soifon, had used to describe the two. The captain had to agree but quickly found the friendship of the two young shinigami to be good for them both.

"Sad that things will change," Juushiro said, following Yoruichi's line of sight to Byakuya and Kumiko who were still arguing about one thing or another.

Kicking the sake jug up into the air, Yoruichi snatched it out of the projectiles path and took a hearty gulp, "Let them cherish it while it lasts. Whatever happens will happen."

It was only after a prolonged amount of arguing that Kumiko was finally able to push Byakuya away. The nobleman fell onto his back, staring up into the sky and they found themselves content to rest, side by side, as the clouds danced and gathered in the vast amount of blue.

"If I had known that this was the brunt of your training, Byakuya, I would have permitted the elders to enrol you in more lessons."

The voice that had spoken was deep, gentle and yet stern all at once. It was an easily recognizable voice. Nevertheless, Byakuya tipped his head back and peered into the amused eyes of his grandfather for confirmation of his beliefs. At the sight of Kuchiki Genrei, flanked by their senpais, both Kumiko and Byakuya jumped up at once, the latter tipping his head down respectfully while the former bowed clumsily. Kumiko had lost her footing at her surprise of their arrival and gave a shy smile.

"Good afternoon, Kuchiki-taicho," Kumiko greeted. "It is pleasant to see you today."

Genrei smiled kindly in return, dipping his head ever so slightly, "And you, Hisashi-san. I trust your lessons are doing well."

"Hai, Kuchiki-taicho," Kumiko replied, her voice giving way to the obvious enjoyment she was having.

"I am pleased," Genrei said in approval, "Please, rest. I know that you both must be rather tired. Byakuya, I will have a word with your senpais then I request that you accompany me back to the manor."

They returned to Juushiro's home where the host poured his visitors a fresh cup of tea. Yoruichi itched for more sake but did well to contain her cravings for the most part, sipping begrudgingly at her tea.

"So," Genrei began, "How are they?"

"Quite well, if I do say so myself," Yoruichi grinned, resting her arms on her knees.

"I must agree," Juushiro smiled, "They are both making great progress. Byakuya has shown immense skill in his control of Senbonzakura. He is able to bend the spirit to his will now and as each day passes, his ability to manoeuvre the blades is better than the last."

"Ha!" Yoruichi cried, "But what's really important is that his shunpo is extraordinary. He may be my best student yet. Actually, he may be my best student ever! He'll be a master in no time, Genrei."

There were chuckles, and loud guffaws on Yoruichi's part, exchanged at the Shihouin's pride and willingness to boast. Modesty was not one of her better traits. They were quick to come to the conclusion that both Kuchiki Byakuya and Hisashi Kumiko would make formidable Shinigami in the near future. One sooner than the other, it seemed.

"Might I ask how the captain examinations went?" Juushiro asked. He had been rather curious about this for a while now but Yamamoto-sotaicho had not chosen him to be amongst the examiners.

"Aikawa Love has passed the test," Genrei informed them, "It was quite a performance. I expect that he will given the official title of seventh division captain in a few days time. This, of course, means that Captain Hirako is on the lookout for another lieutenant."

"Yes, Hirako-san should be quite proud of himself," Juushiro laughed. "His squad has produced how many captains now? Two?"

"Correct, and don't go reminding him either," Yoruichi scowled, "His ego is big enough. He doesn't need any help inflating it any further. His influence on the third and seventh squads are enough, I think."

"A little touchy, are we?" Juushiro questioned. Yoruichi and Shinji were quite competitive in their nature. They had struck up a bet before on who was the better captain. It had seemed that the best way to determine this was by the amount of subordinates that they could train and promote to captain. So far, Shinji was leading, two to nothing.

Yoruichi ignored Juushiro's statement entirely and he chuckled at the silence. He turned his attention to Genrei, who had also taken some amusement out of the Shihouin's response, instead.

"Has he any idea who he may take as his new lieutenant?"

"I overheard the other day that he's taken some interest in Kumiko," Yoruichi stated, her mood growing foul. Let Shinji have her and she was quite certain that she would be three points behind. The mere fact that she couldn't figure out what exactly he was doing to terrorize the bankais out of his subordinates only infuriated her further.

Juushiro smiled, "Ah, he'll have to fight Shunsui for her then."

"Are you sure you don't mean that he'll have to fight you?" Genrei asked with a twinkle in his eye. He was very much aware that Juushiro had grown very fond of his student. It was only logical that he would request that Kumiko join the thirteenth squad.

"I've already taught Kumiko all that I can," Juushiro responded truthfully, "She needs to learn from someone else now. Aside from Shunsui's obvious affinity to beautiful women, he will be able to help her better utilize her shikai."

"Rare zanpakuto spirit, isn't it?" Genrei mentioned.

"Only the third of its kind in hundreds of years," Juushiro clarified.

"Well, I'm sure we all know that Shinji is very good at getting what he wants," Yoruichi pointed out.

"You forget, Yoruichi-san," Juushiro debated, "So is Shunsui."

"An interesting situation indeed," Genrei said and conversation turned to other things.

---

Two years had passed before Kumiko and Byakuya graduated from the Shinigami Academy. It was common knowledge that Byakuya would have graduated sooner, but the elders' desires had interfered with the noble's early graduation. They had requested that Byakuya take additional lessons to better his knowledge in things other than battle tactics and weaponry. Byakuya had taken this as an insult as it was his only desire to become a Shinigami and take over his grandfather's squad when the time came. The young Kuchiki was always quick to show his distaste in dealing with the elders and anything that was closely related to his nobility for that matter. He simply found no enjoyment in any of it.

It was late one afternoon when Kumiko walked through the gates of the sixth division. Many of the Shinigami there greeted her with kind smiles and waves, recognizing her now as she and Byakuya were, for the most part, inseparable in their trouble making. Many found it odd that Byakuya had chosen to, for now, take residence in the squad barracks when he had a comfortable manor at his leisure. Only few understood that Byakuya had the same commitment to his squad as his grandfather. Furthermore, if his grandfather was taking residence in the division barracks, then so would he.

"Byakuya," Kumiko called out, a smile reaching her face as she neared the person she was looking for. He was walking down the veranda when she finally spotted him. "You're hard to find sometimes, did you know that?"

"Have you ever considered that maybe I was avoiding you?" Byakuya called back cheekily.

"Were you, now?"

"It is quite possible."

"But highly improbable," Kumiko laughed. "Who then would you taunt and tease? If I'm not mistaken, you also take sick pleasure in sparring and beating me."

"It's not my fault that you don't know when to back down from a fight," Byakuya snickered.

"Look who's talking," Kumiko retorted.

They walked out of the division grounds and proceeded to make their way towards the thirteenth division. The training ground of their senpai's division was still their favorite spot in the Seireitei. After all, they had done most of their growing there and a short distance away was a nice little secluded clearing that they had taken a liking to.

"I'll race you there," Kumiko smiled, the slight shine from her earlier laughter still lingered in her eyes in the depths of her eyes. "First one there gets to order the loser around."

"What a childish game to play," Byakuya scoffed, fussing over the sleeves of his uniform.

"Am I to suppose then," Kumiko said, "That you are quite the eager one to become like those noblemen that you despise so badly?"

"You're going to regret this," Byakuya said quickly, barely finishing his sentence before he ran forward, making use of his shunpo here and there.

Byakuya was fast. In fact, he was very fast. Yoruichi was right to have told Genrei that he would be her best student yet, but Kumiko was always a very close second. She had the advantage today though. Had the path been straight, Byakuya would surely have won, but it was not and Kumiko was gifted with the skill of finding the loopholes through the terrain or course they were racing through. They were both careful not to knock any unsuspecting Shinigami over as they dashed towards their destination. There were one or two unlucky people that had walked into their path, promptly being shoved aside or tunnelled through. Kumiko and Byakuya thanked their lucky stars that they were going too fast and were too much of a surprise for any of their victims to realize who they were.

The lead that Kumiko had gained in their travel through the division areas was quickly lost as the obstacles lessened and their paths turned to grass. They were near now and without the obstacles of their earlier paths, Byakuya was quickly gaining on her. With a laugh, Kumiko made a jump for their tree but found that they still tied.

"You're much too fast," Kumiko said in between her gasps for air. "Yoruichi-taicho spent more time with you."

"That's hardly an excuse," Byakuya said, falling to the ground, his gaze to the skies, "Besides, Ukitake-senpai spent more time with you."

"What can I say," Kumiko teased, "Juushiro-senpai is quite handsome."

Byakuya made a face at the statement as Kumiko fell backwards at Byakuya's side, using his arm as a cushion for her head. She allowed them a while of comfortable silence, content with each others' company as they usually were. She sighed, knowing very well that she brought him here so that they could talk. The grass was comfortable beneath their bodies and if the weather had been any better, there was a possibility that it might have lulled them both to sleep as it had on many occasions.

Kumiko turned on her side and peered up at Byakuya's face. He seemed happy enough, despite the many trials the Kuchiki nobles had been putting him through. Their grip on his future was tightening ever so slightly at a steady pace and she feared that soon he would lose himself to their commands. She was certain that Genrei would never let it happen if he had a say in it, Yoruichi had said as much, but she wasn't sure just how much the captain would be able to shield his grandson from everything. Had Byakuya known just how much Genrei was doing to keep them at bay, he probably would have asked his grandfather to stop. He never was one to have another fight his battles for him.

"I need to say something, but you won't want to hear it," Kumiko finally said.

Her gaze fell to the ground as Byakuya turned his head to face her.

"If you are convinced that I won't be pleased with your news, then say it as quickly and painlessly as humanly possible."

"I've been promoted to fifth division lieutenant."

Though the news was technically supposed to be good news and worthy of celebration, Byakuya could not help but feel a small tinge of sadness pull at his heart. Kumiko had spent nine months under the watchful eye, for one reason or another, of Kyoraku Shunsui as the eighth division's third seat. The level of responsibility that a third seat held alone was enough to cause a considerable decrease in the time that they spent together. Kumiko was one of the very few friends that Byakuya had, it was only natural that he missed her. The girl's promotion to lieutenant would increase her responsibilities tenfold.

Not only would she be in charge of leading the training sessions of the fifth division, but she would be at the constant beck and call of her captain. Between her responsibilities and his, there would be little time left for them to spend with each other. Upon seeing the worry in Kumiko's eyes, Byakuya quickly forgot his morose demeanour.

"Those two certainly fought over you, didn't they?" Byakuya asked with a smile, referring to Shinji and Shunsui.

"Hardly," Kumiko replied, smiling a little. "I just think that Kyoraku-taicho was right. I needed someone to help me with Kashi-Kami. Only two people have ever wielded a zanpakuto similar to mine. And now that they've taught me, I feel much more confident about my own skills. All I have left to learn from now on is experience."

Byakuya turned his gaze back to the skies, closing his eyes for a brief moment, speaking slowly, "It was always there, you know? You just needed an era push in confidence."

Apart from the comfort that she felt from the words that Byakuya was speaking, she listened intently to the sound of his voice as it held just as much comfort. His voice was deep, rich and smoothly rolled off of his tongue. It was like velvet to her ears. Kumiko took the opportunity to ask Byakuya of his progress with his squad, though she already knew the answer. Shunsui was quite the gossip and could very well rival the women of the Shihouin clan.

"Not much change," Byakuya said. "I'm still the third seat and probably will stay the third seat for a while. The demands of nobility have been denying me of the time to train harder. They're taking more actions towards grooming me for succession every day. It's annoying at best."

"If it's any consolation, Byakuya," Kumiko said, "You don't need them and their teachings to become a capable and just clan head. You were born with it, I think. Much like Kuchiki-taicho. From what you've told me, he doesn't like those elders much either and he still seems to be doing a fine job."

"Arigato, Kumiko," Byakuya said, a soft smile gracing his lips. Those smiles came rarely now, Kumiko was quick to note.

Time flew by quickly for the both of them and soon Byakuya rose from his place on the soft ground, stretching his back and neck, "I should be going. I have lessons in a while and I shudder to think of what they'll do to me if I get there late again."

Byakuya began his departure, all the while waiting for a good bye from Kumiko that never came. He was just about to turn and question this lack of farewell when purple clouded his vision and he felt an impact at his abdomen. Byakuya got back up quickly and narrowly dodged Kumiko's fist. He was about to demand what it was about when he spotted the smile on her face and soon after heard the laughter that he was sure would come. Byakuya grinned in return and threw a punch of his own. His opponent stepped out of harm's way easily.

Kumiko was obviously stronger than he was as of now, given that she had the advantage of continuous training while he was stuck inside the manor, cooped up in a small room repeating verses from an endless pile of textbooks. Kumiko thrust an open palm out at his chest and he fell backwards onto the ground. She straddled him quickly after, her hands resting on his broad chest, breathing deeply.

"I win," she smirked.

She leaned back and Byakuya fought hard to suppress a groan. Kumiko wasn't heavy, but that her weight was putting on the lower extremities of his body wasn't very comfortable.

"Not so fast," Byakuya said, wrapping an arm around Kumiko's waist and forcing himself to sit up right.

It was a bit of a struggle, but Byakuya managed to bring his legs round from under him before he leaned forward. He stuck an arm out to brace their fall and ensure that he didn't crush Kumiko under his weight. When he was sure that he wouldn't knock the wind out of her, he pinned Kumiko down, his arms at either side of her head. Kumiko's hair had fanned out around her head and she laughed at Byakuya's refusal to give up. It had been that way in the beginning and, it seemed, would stay that way till the end.

"I yield," Kumiko said soon after her laughter subsided. She picked a leaf out of Byakuya's hair, "We must look horrible."

"I am quite certain that my appearance is suitable," Byakuya said arrogantly, "You, however, look like you've been to the living world and back."

"What do you mean?" Kumiko demanded, pinching his side.

Byakuya chuckled and pulled out the twigs and leaves that had caught in Kumiko's hair. When he found no more, he rubbed at the dirt on her forehead and cheeks. All the while, Kumiko laid beneath Byakuya's body, watching his face with curiosity. She was afraid that it would be long until she saw him again and attempted to memorize his face, though she was sure that she would never forget what Byakuya looked like. It was hardly possible and she certainly wasn't being sent out on a mission or anything any time soon. It was just responsibility that would hinder her time, wasn't it?

Byakuya had successfully wiped the dirt from Kumiko's face clean when his thumb ran over her lower lip. It lingered there for a few moments, and Kumiko's lips parted in the slightest of manners. Her warm breath tickled his fingers. He pulled his hand away quickly when Kumiko spoke.

"Byakuya, did you mean it when you said that nothing would change?"

"Yes." Short, quick and succinct. The type of answer that Byakuya favoured.

Kumiko smiled. Gravity had started to take its toll on Byakuya it seemed as his body fell lower and lower towards Kumiko's. Had anyone ran into the pair, they probably would have guessed that the two were intimate. Kumiko shifted under Byakuya's body. He was handsome, she would never deny that, but she had grown to find much more to him than a good looking face. The tenderness that she was witnessing of Byakuya now was one that she knew was quickly leaving him. Byakuya himself would have admitted that to her if she asked him flat out.

Every day he found that he forgot what it was like to care or show affection, needing a stimulant or reminder of what it was like to have some semblance of emotional response to his surroundings. It was much like Kumiko, though he would never admit it. She, along with his grandfather, reminded him that he had a heart and that there were some things worth keeping that heart for, no matter what the elders said. They taught that in being the future successor to the clan, he would have to learn to push his heart aside and listen only to what logic and reason was telling him.

Byakuya caught himself before he dipped his head towards Kumiko's, "I really should be going now. They always force me to write more when I'm late."

He pushed himself up and brushed off his uniform. Kumiko sat up with an understanding smile and took the hand that Byakuya offered her.

"They act that way now, but in the future, you will make them very proud," Kumiko foretold, her eyes closed and arms reaching towards the sky, "Then they will have no words to bring against you and you will feel satisfied that you were able to shut them up once and for all."

Byakuya laughed, "How is it that you have so much faith in me?"

Kumiko set a hand on his chest, over his heart and said, "Simply because I see you."

The young Kuchiki was pleased to note that he was on time as he arrived at the manor. He had taken to the rooftops in an effort to reach the manor grounds faster and the decision had proved itself to be a fruitful he one. Without much effort to be silent and disturb little, Byakuya slid the shoji screen back and entered the room where three of the elders that had taken on the task of teaching him sat.

"Sit down, Byakuya."

They were much more hostile today than usual. Byakuya's eyes narrowed at the three old men as he sat down. What did they want this time?

"It seems that there is something that we need to clarify and speak to you off."

"What is it?" Byakuya asked, not one to enjoy the avoidance on a topic or prolonging a point. It irritated him how, often, the elders' words always went in circles, never reaching a definite and clear point of conversation.

"It has come to our attention that you have been greatly misinformed about the past of one of your...acquaintances."

"Who in particular?"

"We believe her name is Hisashi Kumiko."

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**[Chapter 10 Preview]:**

"Aw c'mon Kumiko. It isn't like you haven't seen me naked before."

**[End of Preview]**

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**A/N:** Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that. I realize that Byakuya may seem a tad bit OOC here, but I'm sure you guys have seen the turn back the pendulum arc by now (and if not, have at least read its manga counterpart) so think of Byakuya's attitude then and apply it to him at this point in time, only he isn't quite as...temperamental as he was then.

Reviews are welcome. :)

-theholysee


	10. Promotions and Set Backs

**As The Pendulum Swings**

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**Disclaimer: **Again, I have given up hope of ever owning any part of Bleach. So long Byakuya, I guess we were never really meant to be, huh? –Insert ridiculous laughter here-.

**Note: **I am blown away at the response that the last chapter got. Thanks to everyone that left me a review, I don't think I'll be thanking everyone separately this time –gomen- but please know that they were all extremely appreciated and I hope that this chapter doesn't let anyone down.

If there are any Naruto fans reading this fic, I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be writing a Naruto fic in the near future. It's a Shikamaru/OC story so look out for that if interested.

**Song Recommendations:** "Bacchikoi" by **Dev Parade**.

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**Chapter Ten  
"Promotions and Set Backs"**

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It was late in the afternoon when Unohana Retsu had finally finished her analysis of Kumiko's arm. Shinji, who had been adamant in his decision to have his friend checked up by the medical Shinigami, stood lazily to the side as Retsu bandaged Kumiko's wounds and healed the muscle damage done to her right arm.

"You should rest for a while and try not to exert yourself, Hisashi-taicho," Retsu explained as she finished the bandaging. "Otherwise your arm may never fully heal or you could cause further damage."

"Hai, Unohana-taicho," Kumiko replied as she eyed Shinji pointedly. "Thank you for seeing to me. You didn't have to do it personally."

"It's not a bother. I enjoy seeing you, Kumiko-san." Retsu decided to leave out the fact that Kumiko reminded her of herself.

Kumiko hated being in the fourth division with a passion if she was the one being treated. She did, after all, possess the fatal flaw of self maintenance and thus thought herself impervious to long term harm. Shinji had to laugh at that one; his friend really was much too prideful sometimes.

"You hear that, Kumiko?" Shinji asked when he noticed the glare that Kumiko was giving him, "No more picking fights with lieutenants, okay?"

Kumiko ignored Shinji's goading and thanked the fourth division taicho instead before taking her leave. The blonde in her company was at her heel, taking long meaningful strides behind the woman who was currently giving him the cold shoulder. Shinji eyed the green eyed woman's bandaged right arm and sighed, wondering what would have happened had he and Juushiro not stepped in when they did.

"All kidding aside," Shinji asked, the humor leaving his voice, "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine, Shinji," Kumiko replied, sparing him no glance, "Stop asking."

"Your arm gave out, you were just beaten to a pulp and the man you used to love told you that you were in a dead end relationship," Shinji counted off his fingers, "And you still insist that you're fine?"

"Urusai," Kumiko replied cooly, her captain's haori billowing behind her.

Shinji quickened his pace a little and stopped meaningfully in front of Kumiko, stopping her walk with a palm to her shoulder, "Stop trying to hide everything from everyone. You're too easy to read when you're emotional."

"I'm not trying to hide anything," Kumiko fought to keep her voice even, "You were there weren't you? You just listed the things that are currently the worst of my problems so what else is there to share?"

With fervour, Kumiko shrugged Shinji's hand off her shoulder and continued to make her way towards her division barracks. She needed to sleep her anger off before anything else and Shinji was proving to be the only thing standing her way. If only her arm hadn't given out, she kept telling herself, she would have been able to give Byakuya a hearty chunk of her mind. As she neared the gates of the tenth division, she could see a solitary figure leaning against the gate's frame.

Kumiko's shoulders fell noticeably as she recognized the figure to be Aizen Sousuke, yet another person she didn't have the heart to deal with at the moment.

"Kumiko-san," Aizen greeted with a kind smile, meeting Kumiko half way. His arms opened to envelope her in a hug.

The tenth division captain side stepped the intimate act and bowed her head in apology, "I'm sorry, Sousuke-san, I really don't want to see you right now."

"If this is about what Byakuya-fukutaicho said then-"

"She said she doesn't want to see you right now, Aizen," Shinji piped in when he got close enough, his arms crossed in front of his chest and eyes gazing piercingly at his lieutenant. "Maybe you should give the lady some space and disappear for a bit."

"My apologies, taicho, demo, I believe this concerns Kumiko-san and myself only," Sousuke said with a frown, his insides grating with annoyance. He was used to Shinji intruding on him, but the captain was getting much too involved with him and Kumiko now.

"I don't really care right now," Shinji replied, "She said she doesn't want to see you so get lost and come back when she's ready to see you. Didn't I tell you to go do paper work or something?"

Sousuke ignored his captain and turned his gaze to Kumiko, "Kumiko-san?"

"A lieutenant is not supposed to disobey the order of his captain, Aizen-fukutaicho," Kumiko said tiredly. "I suggest you return to the Gotei offices before your captain takes action against your disobedience."

"Of course, Kumiko-san," Sousuke replied before turning and walking away.

Out of the watchful eye of his taicho and, perhaps now former, lover, Sousuke scowled. He was sharp to notice the change in the way Kumiko addressed him and did not take kindly to any of his plans falling out of order. The situation needed correcting but it had to be done with finesse. He would retreat for now and strike when the occasion presented itself. The only fault in his plan was that he didn't know when the opportunity would present itself with the gobantai taicho watching his every move.

Shinji didn't say anything as he continued to follow Kumiko to her quarters. He had to admit that he was satisfied when Kumiko denied Sousuke the chance to talk to her. It was a sign that maybe things were going to get better. Maybe Juushiro was right. Maybe, after things had reached the pinnacle of lows, the only other way was up. Unless someone had invented a way to drive people below the most minuscule possible emotional and physical standing a human could take.

Before Kumiko had the chance to refuse Shinji entry to her room, he slipped in and kicked of his shoes when he settled himself on the modest couch that sat in the corner of the room. Kumiko closed the door behind her, choosing to ignore Shinji instead if he really wouldn't grant her right to privacy. She slipped her haori off her shoulders and folded it neatly before tucking it away in one of her closets.

"I'm going to make myself comfortable," Shinji declared. He received no reply.

In her quest to ignore her sometimes over bearing friend, Kumiko noticed much too late that when he said he was going to make himself comfortable, Shinji really meant it. Kumiko had no time to stop the captain from removing not only his haori, but his kosode as well. Shinji threw the garments to the side as he leaned back into the couch.

"What are you doing?" Kumiko half yelled, memories of her first encounter with the blonde unclothed. It did ill to her resolve to stay angry and sulk over the fact that Byakuya still had her figured out down to every last detail.

"Aw c'mon Kumiko," Shinji laughed, "It's not like you haven't seen me naked before. Half naked should be a piece of cake, although that blush on your cheek may eventually convince me otherwise."

Kumiko threw a nearby scroll at him, clenching her fists tightly afterwards, "Get out of my room. Leave me alone. Now!"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I know that this isn't something you should handle alone," Shinji replied, standing up and taking a few precautious steps towards Kumiko. "You always try to deal with things alone and it ain't healthy for you."

It was Kumiko's turn to stop Shinji, her small hand pushing against his bare chest, "You're far too nosy."

"I'm just making up for the fact that I haven't been taking good care of you lately," Shinji replied, his hand taking hold of Kumiko's wrist and pulling it down to their sides. "Besides, I promised Juushiro I'd keep an eye on you. Make sure you didn't go out and try to render some other poor soul lifeless."

Kumiko hated it when either Juushiro or Shinji did this. They knew that she loathed being treated like she was helpless. She handled things well on her own before she became a Shinigami. What made them think that she couldn't do the same now? Never the less, she felt herself give in to Shinji and fell into his waiting arms. Shinji hugged her with just the right amount of pressure. He hoped that she'd get his message. He, and Juushiro for that matter, was well aware of the fact that she could handle things by herself. Essentially, they just wanted to remind her that she didn't need to be so introverted and that people did care about her well being. She did have her pick of shoulders to lean on when things got rough.

"I hate you. You and Juushiro," Kumiko mumbled into his chest.

Shinji chuckled, "Chi. You won't get rid of us that easily."

"What do you think I should do about Sousuke?"

"Honestly," Shinji said, trying to be as objective about the situation as he could, "Maybe it's best that you take a step back and reassess the situation with Aizen. Think about it you really like him or if..."

Shinji didn't dare complete his sentence. He was fairly certain that Kumiko knew what he meant anyway. His certainty was reaffirmed when he felt Kumiko's body stiffen a little in his arms.

"I'm not trying to offend you, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, that's not it," Kumiko replied, stepping away from the comfort of Shinji's hug.

"Then what is it?"

"I'm just a little scared of admitting that Byakuya was right."

"Either way," Shinji sighed, repositioning himself on the couch. "You're going to have to deal with it. Whether he was right or not, you have to make a choice on the matter."

"I know. It just might take a little time."

"No one's forcing you to make a decision now."

Kumiko smiled half-heartedly at Shinji.

---

Rangiku took nervous steps towards her taicho's office. After the mistake she made on the battle field, and the unfortunate effects of her mistake, she was quick to hide herself from the eyes of her fellow Shinigami. Sajin and Soujiro had dropped by her room in the barracks once or twice to try to convince her to rejoin the world beyond her small dwelling, assuring her that everyone makes mistakes. Soujiro was quick to tell her stories of all the mistakes he made and though his attempts were appreciated, they did little to help Rangiku's conscience.

She wasn't unaware of the few reproachful stares that she got from a few people when she was discharged from the medical division that day before. News spread fast in the Seireitei and most had heard of the tenth division captain's inability to fight at the moment. Many of the people in the tenth division were fiercely loyal to Hishashi Kumiko and were easily angered over the fact that the captain was injured in such a way that rendered her better arm useless. Moreover, they were angry that the injury was caused by carelessness on Rangiku's part.

Coming to a stop in front of her captain's office door, she raised an arm shakily and motioned to knock on the door. Before she could knock though, the door swung open and a stunned Soujiro stepped out of the office.

"Soujiro," Rangiku said with mild surprise.

"Ohayo, Rangiku-san," Soujiro said, smiling widely. "Are you going to talk with taicho already?"

"H-hai."

"Daijoubu, Rangiku-san. It will be fine."

She certainly hoped it would be. Knocking on the already open door, Rangiku peeked into the office and saw her captain attending to a small pile of paperwork. Kumiko looked up from her documents and saw the solemn face of her sixth seat peering at her. She was waiting for Rangiku to come to her and was glad that she had finally come.

"Come in, Matsumoto."

The timid woman walking towards the desk was not the Rangiku that Kumiko knew. She sighed inwardly, realizing that Sajin and Soujiro were not exaggerating when they told her that the sixth seat was thoroughly affected by her mishap. Kumiko noticed that Rangiku didn't sit, choosing instead to stand at the foot of her table, her arms wrapped around her middle. An unconscious attempt to protect herself from whatever she thought was coming.

"Matsumoto, sit-"

"Gomen nasai taicho."

Kumiko was surprised at the tone of Rangiku's voice. She knew that the sixth seat was deeply sorry for what happened, but her voice wasn't just sorry. It was pained. Kumiko listened intently, albeit dumbfounded, as Rangiku made no qualms to justify her actions. The apologies were endless and Kumiko had just about enough.

"Enough, Rangiku."

Rangiku quieted. That was the first time that her captain had ever addressed her by her first name. What surprised Rangiku more than her captain's change of addressing her was the fact that her taicho's voice did not sound furious like she anticipated.

"You were careless, Rangiku," Kumiko started, "Careless that you didn't attack as a unit like I specified. When I give an order, I give it with good reason. You should know that by now."

The strawberry blonde nodded, knowing full well that what Kumiko was saying was true.

"You were over confident and let the heat of battle take over you and it nearly cost you your life. Don't you remember me telling you that I wanted no casualties? I do not take kindly to losing subordinates, Rangiku, and despite your short comings, you are not an exception to that. I should punish you for your insubordination and if I were any other captain, except perhaps Ukitake-taicho, I would have demoted you by now. My seated officers should be responsible and care for the safety of their unit as well as their own and if I were any other captain, except perhaps Ukitake-taicho, I would have demoted you by now. My seated officers should be responsible and care for the safety of their unit as well as their own. But we all make mistakes."

Again, Rangiku was near flabbergasted. She was expecting punishment and a lot of yelling. She had gotten none of her expectations thus far. Kumiko stood from her seat and walked around her desk towards Rangiku. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Kumiko smiled.

"I have made worse mistakes, Rangiku, let me assure you of that. The beauty of being a captain is that I can prevent you from making the same mistakes I did, and the beauty of making mistakes is that you learn from them, gain experience from them and become a better Shinigami."

There was another knock on the door and Kumiko called for the person to come in. Komamura Sajin strode into the office and stopped a few feet away from the pair of women.

"Sajin, Rangiku, please sit down."

Kumiko retook her seat behind her table, setting her elbows atop the wooden surface and resting her chin on her hands. Sajin observed Rangiku from behind his mask and noticed the surprise that was etched on his colleague's face. Hisashi-taicho had a reputation for being one of the five toughest captains in the Gotei, but she did surprise her subordinates once in a while.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about, taicho?" Sajin asked when Rangiku seemed to regain some semblance of a smile on her face. She had been forgiven, but it would take some time for the guilt to ebb away. The way Rangiku stared at their captain's bandaged arm was enough of an indication.

"There was a captain's meeting this morning," Kumiko said, filing through the papers that she had earlier been signing. "It's common knowledge that the third and tenth divisions have yet to fill the position of lieutenant. After careful consideration and in lieu of the recent battle at the Rukongai, the captains have all reached a decision. Soujiro has been promoted to lieutenant of the third division. I advise you both to congratulate him when you see him next. He will be starting his duties tomorrow."

"We should throw him a congratulatory party," Rangiku said, regaining some of her gusto. "He deserves the promotion, taicho."

"I agree," Kumiko smiled, "but that leaves this division without a third seat. With that in mind, Matsumoto Rangiku, I am promoting you to third seat."

"A-arigato taicho," Rangiku stuttered, "But I think that Sajin deserves the promotion much more than I do."

"I can't do that, Matsumoto," Kumiko negated.

"But why not, taicho?!"

"Because I'm making Komamura my lieutenant."

---

The wind was nice and cool and the sun shone brightly on the Kuchiki manor. How ironic, Byakuya thought as he sat at the bedside of his grandfather. Unohana Retsu was at the manor again, trying every medicine that she felt would do the Kuchiki clan head any good. Byakuya tried in vain to prevent his stomach from knotting up. The bad days were starting to outnumber the good and the frown on the fourth division captain's face was a grim omen.

Kuchiki Genrei had, once again, been bed ridden. He was noticeably weaker than before and his face looked as if it had aged several hundred years over night. Retsu had earlier notified Byakuya that his grandfather was growing feverous more often now and that she wasn't sure if there was much more she could for the older Kuchiki other than administer some medication and healing kidou to reduce the pains that Genrei complained about.

"I told you not to go to the captain's meeting, Kuchiki-taicho," Retsu admonished as she pressed a glowing hand to his chest.

"I was feeling well enough to go this morning," Genrei returned, his face showing signs of irritation. Retsu fussed over him much too much.

Byakuya knew that his grandfather was trying to ignore his presence in the bedroom. The grandson, however, didn't mind. He was grateful to have been let in the room this time around as most of the checkups had been done without Byakuya's presence. The future clan head knew that his grandfather was trying to protect him, but his protection could only go so far. It was now at a point where Byakuya needed to know what was going on. He needed to prepare himself as he would probably be inheriting Genrei's duties very soon.

"I'm sure no one would have minded your absence, Kuchiki-taicho," Retsu rebutted Genrei's answer. "Yamamoto-sotaicho knows that you need to rest."

"He said nothing of the sort this morning," Genrei argued, "He even looked pleased to see me there."

"Byakuya-fukutaicho would have been glad to go in your stead, neh, Byakuya-fukutaicho?"

"Hai, Unohana-taicho," Byakuya replied curtly and respectfully.

"Byakuya will be taking on a lot of my responsibilities soon enough, Retsu-san," Genrei said lowly. "Let me enjoy the fruits of my labor for a little while longer."

Fearing that he was rapidly losing self control, Byakuya quickly excused himself and exited the bedroom. His grandfather's words were ominous. Byakuya flashed out of the Kuchiki estate and quickly made his way to the thirteenth division. When he slowed to a walk, Byakuya was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the petite woman walking perpendicular to the line he was travelling until he barrelled into her.

The woman instinctively grabbed onto the neckline of Byakuya's kosode to keep from falling over. In return, Byakuya's instinct was to grab hold of the woman's waist to steady her.

"Gomen nasai, Byakuya-fukutaicho," the woman said quietly, peeking up at him from behind her black hair.

She looked familiar and Byakuya was fairly certain that he had met her before. His arms fell from her waist to his sides, feeling foreign and out of place there.

"Takezoe Hisana."

"Hai, Byakuya-fukutaicho."

"What are you doing wandering around the Gotei divisions?"

"I was admiring the gardens in this division," Hisana replied with a kind smile. "Would you like to join me, Byakuya-fukutaicho? You seem troubled."

There was somewhere that he needed to be, that much Byakuya was certain off, but he didn't know where it was that his heart pulled him to. He eyed Hisana carefully, knowing that she reminded him of someone but not quite able to place who it was. He was unsure of why he decided to humor Hisana, but he did, ignoring the soft tug that he felt earlier, and in the depths of his soul, Senbonzakura hoped that her master would realize where he really wanted to be sooner than later.

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**[Chapter 11 Preview]:**

I'm afraid I don't have a preview this time around, guys. I'm not quite sure where I want to take the next chapter just yet.

**[End of Preview]**

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**A/N:** I'm so sorry this took so long and I'm sorry the chapter was so slow. Writer's block is my enemy right now. I'd like to ask you guys for any ideas or if there's anything in particular you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters. I need some rising action! Suggestions and reviews are always welcome!

-theholysee


	11. Tightrope

**As The Pendulum Swings**

**Disclaimer: ***Sigh* Byakuya, why can't there be a 3D version of you that I can own?

**Important Note: **Hi guys, I don't know how many of you heard, but super-typhoon Ketsana recently devastated the Philippines followed by another super-typhoon. Along with many other people, I lost a lot in the flood, including all of the work I had already done on this chapter (haha). So, I'm sorry that this took a lot longer than usual to put up. In between having to find a job, starting that job and getting back on my feet, I just recently was able to start writing again.

To those still reading, thank you very much for waiting, it means a lot. Thank you to everyone for the response to chapter ten. I really appreciated it, as always, and I'm so sorry this took so long to put up. In any case, I hope you still enjoy this new update!

**Song Recommendations:** "Mad Surfer" by **Kenichi Asai**.

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**Chapter Eleven  
"Tightrope"**

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The forests of the Rukongai were, for the most part, uncharted territory, scaring the majority of the people that decided to journey through them. The eerie nature of the area suited Aizen and his young companion, Ichimaru Gin, perfectly. With only a select few choosing to venture forth into the deepest parts of the forest, it was easy to find the test subjects Aizen needed for his experiments. The increasing appearances of hollows would be the first thing a missing man's family would blame.

Aizen's experiments had thus far been showing improvements. With that in mind, Gin couldn't help but wonder why it was that the older of the two seemed to be sporting less of a smile than he normally did. They took their usual route through the forests in silence with Gin trailing a few steps behind Aizen. Ichimaru Gin, truth be told, didn't care much about the feelings of any singular person, but the change in attitude was curious and he couldn't help but bring it up.

"Anything eatin' at your insides, Aizen-fukutaicho?" Gin piped up after he checked his surroundings for loitering civilians.

"Why do you ask?" Aizen asked in reply.

Gin nearly frowned. Hadn't anybody ever told Aizen that it was rude to answer a question with another question?

"No particular reason," Gin replied, "Other than curiosity."

"It appears that there is a little bit of a disturbance in my plans," Aizen answered Gin's initial query, "I have yet to decide if this issue is worth pursuing as it may...distract us from our original intention."

"Which one of the plans was thrown through a loop?"

Aizen kept his gaze on the path ahead of him, "Women seem to be a little more trouble than they're worth."

"Y'know, lieutenant," Gin chuckled, "I could'a told you that, but all the same, I don't exactly understand why you're even interested in the tenth division taicho."

There was a rustling in the foliage a few meters ahead of them. Gin took a step forward, waiting for Aizen to give him the signal which the fukutaicho did, nodding his head. The smile on Gin's face grew larger a second before he shot forward, drawing his zanpakuto. Gin's target fell with a thud before he could register what happened. Sheathing his weapon, Gin grabbed the wrist of a middle aged Rukongai resident and dragged him towards Aizen. The pathogen should take effect in little under five minutes.

"You should know by now, Gin, that a man has his needs," Aizen smiled, watching the man on the ground twitch as white matter dripped from his mouth. "However, in my time with Hisashi-taicho, I realized that she could very well become our trump card."

Gin squatted down next to the man he slaughtered only a few moments ago, using the hilt of his sword to poke at the body, impatient to see some sort of progress in their research, "She doesn't seem like much of a trump card to me."

"It's much easier to manipulate people when they're in a low emotional state," Aizen explained as a portion of the man's chest seemed to cave in, the same white matter in his mouth spewing from what was now a whole in his upper body. "Sources tell me that the popular Hisashi-taicho had a rather unstable past before her induction into the Gotei thirteen. With that in consideration and adding her current emotional state, her heart is in a state of unrest."

A gurgle sounded from their test subject's mouth and a moment later the body disintegrated. Gin sighed in disappointment and kicked at the clothes left on the ground, "If the lady's a basket case, what's the problem?"

"The confrontations I instigated between Hisashi-taicho and Kuchiki-fukutaicho seem to have backfired," Aizen said, taking note of the reaction this sample had to the hollow pathogen. "I didn't expect Kuchiki to still have feelings for the woman."

"Eh? Kuchiki Byakuya and Hisashi Kumiko? I didn't even think the Kuchiki kid had the capacity to carry a relationship," Gin laughed, straining his eyes to see if there were any more people in this district loitering around.

"Byakuya is a good actor," Aizen said.

"Bet he ain't as good as us."

"Not even close I'm afraid."

"So what are ya planning to do now?"

Aizen adjusted his glasses, pushing them further up the bridge of his nose and causing the moonlight to bounce off of the lenses. He grinned, "We'll have to find a way around Captain Hirako. He's been keeping a closer eye since my involvement with his former lieutenant."

"Tss, Captain Hirako's gonna cause us problems. Maybe you should just forget about Kumiko altogether."

"I disagree, Gin," Aizen informed his subordinate, "I enjoy playing with Hirako-taicho. He likes to pretend he doesn't care and it's amusing to see him panicked over the most trivial of things. Kumiko would make a nice addition to our cause as well if I can persuade her to see things my way."

"And if things don't go the way you want them to?"

"Well, at the very least, she'd make a rather interesting test subject."

There was a faint orange glow through the trees a short distance away. Moving towards the area silently, Gin peaked around a tree trunk and spotted a small group of Shinigami stationed at a small makeshift outpost. The group had most likely been sent there after the recent menos incident. A malicious, nearly blood thirsty, grin took its place on Gin's face once again.

"Jackpot," the boy said and a second later he was gone.

Aizen chucked at the enthusiasm of his young companion. He locked his hands in place behind his back. Regardless of the few minor setbacks, things were still going according to plan.

- - -

The thirteenth division training grounds seemed to be getting more and more popular in the recent weeks, Juushiro duly noted as he stepped out of the barracks upon hearing the sound of clashing swords. He requested a passing Shinigami to bring him his tea as he took his usual perch at the top of the dome, watching Kumiko and Shinji going through a round of exercises. Today was Kumiko's first day back training since Retsu gave her permission to begin physical exertion.

Kumiko's arm had healed nicely with rest. Of course, the rest was mostly attributed to the fact that she now had a lieutenant to keep tabs on things while she was resting. The taicho was enjoying the down time, getting some decent rest and relaxing to the best of her capabilities. It took her a while to let go of her control, not used to having someone to take care of everything. Shinji had expressed to her on many occasions that it wouldn't do her any good to constantly worry about Sajin and his adjustment to new responsibility.

"The kid's not going to learn anything with you hovering over him all the time," Shinji had said, "The only thing you'll accomplish doing is making him nervous."

Kumiko's flash steps had gotten a little sluggish; a fact easily noticed when she barely missed a violent swing that Shinji sent her way. She jumped backwards and scowled, realizing that Shinji was taking their little battle a bit too seriously. Not that he ever took it easy on her when they sparred, but there was an absence of humor that Shinji normally carried with him. Come to think of it, Shinji had been silent since they first saw each other at the grounds. From his perch, Juushiro too noticed the deviation from normal demeanour that Shinji was practicing at the moment.

"I know you think that I need to get my arm back in shape," Kumiko's voice hitched with each breath of air she took in, "But there's no need to try and cleave my body in half while you're at it."

Shinji responded with a kick that didn't connect. Neither of them had released their zanpakuto's shikai just yet which Kumiko was thankful for.

"Have you spoken to Aizen yet?" Shinji asked, pulling back momentarily.

The reason behind Shinji's strange behaviour dawned on Kumiko then, "No. Don't rush me."

"I didn't intend on doing so, but it's been nearly two weeks Kumiko. More than enough time, if you ask me. Are you scared or something?"

"Of course not," Kumiko retorted, unable to help the feeling that this spar was beginning to feel like a repeat of her fight with Byakuya.

As if on cue, Kumiko felt a familiar reiatsu appear accompanied by another entirely new presence come to stop next to Juushiro. Taking a swing at Shinji, she made use of the time that it took Shinji to dodge and took a peek at the top of the dome. She met Byakuya's cold stare and, through her peripheral vision, saw the short and petite frame of the woman that they discovered in the Rukongai Menos battle.

Juushiro took his attention away from the events below to acknowledge the new presence at his side. The taicho was surprised to find Byakuya in the company of a young frail and sickly looking woman who he had never met before. He bowed his head respectfully in greeting.

"Ohayo Byakuya-kun," Juushiro smiled, "How is Kuchiki-taicho doing?"

"There hasn't been very much change," Byakuya answered curtly, "I would appreciate your continued discretion on the matter."

As far as Byakuya knew, only a few captains had been informed of the condition of the sixth division taicho and he very much preferred that things be kept that way. The fukutaicho's answer worried Juushiro and the elder of the two men wondered briefly what kind of toll this was taking on the stoic clan successor. Deciding that it was best to keep Byakuya's mind off of the situation as much as possible, he made to change the topic of conversation but found that Byakuya had already taken the first step, concentrating on the two people fighting below.

"Her arm has healed nicely," Juushiro interrupted Byakuya's analysis of the situation.

Byakuya's companion sighed, "Yokata. Hisashi-taicho is very kind to me. It's comforting to see her doing better."

"Hai," Juushiro smiled, "I don't believe we've met."

"Ukitake-taicho, this is Hisana," Byakuya spoke, taking the captain's hint to introduce the two, "She was one of the civilians found in the recent Rukongai incident. Hisana, this is the eleventh division captain, Ukitake Juushiro."

A look of recognition dawned on Juushiro's face, "Oh yes. Kumiko mentioned that she had made some arrangements for you in the fourth division. She told me that you were caught in the middle of the battle and may have been injured."

"Hai," Hisana returned, "She went out of her way to ensure that I was taken care of. I am very grateful."

"And now you seem to have found a friend in the sixth division fukutaicho," Juushiro mentioned, "You are lucky to have found friends in two very special people."

Byakuya ignored the message in between the words as Hisana replied, "The fukutaicho has been kind enough to show me around the Seireitei. Unohana-taicho has requested that I stay a few more days just to be sure that I really am fine."

In between his attempt to listen to the conversation of the two people next to him as well as ignoring Juushiro's masked messages, Byakuya was drawn into the ongoing spar. At the same time, down in the pit, Shinji was engaging a battle within himself as he fought his battle with Kumiko. A very large part of him wanted to beat some sense into Kumiko and express to her how important it was for her to settle things with Aizen once and for all. His patience with Kumiko was wearing away and though he hated to admit, he was certain that the only reason Kumiko still hadn't spoken to Aizen was because he had become somewhat of a safety net for the tenth division taicho. He was her only assurance that she wasn't a broken toy that had been stored in the shelf.

His current train of thought made Shinji even more aggravated with the situation. If only Kumiko would look in the right places. Maybe, if Kumiko was as smart as Shinji believed her to be, her insecurities would not have taken a complete hold of her and this false idea of love towards Aizen could have been completely avoided.

Kumiko took a look back up at Byakuya, having been taking aback by his presence before, as Shinji recovered from her kido spell. Byakuya proved to be a greater distraction than she anticipated as when she realized that Shinji had aimed a rather violent kick at her stomach, it was too late to dodge. Kumiko skidded backwards on her knee, trying to slow her movement by digging her foot into the soil. She grasped her stomach and coughed a little in between her pants, trying to regain the air that had been knocked out of her. It was then, when Kumiko was too tired to retaliate, that Shinji noticed the presence of Byakuya.

Seeing the analytical eye that Byakuya was casting upon then, Shinji felt his anger with Kumiko subside for the moment. He could only imagine how much he must look like Byakuya did when he taunted and hurt Kumiko and it pained him that he was becoming like that. Sheathing his sword, Shinji walked towards Kumiko, unable to continue the fight any longer. He offered Kumiko his hand.

"Gotcha that time, didn't I? Chi, I thought you said you were better already."

Relieved at the disappearance of the earlier tension, Kumiko took Shinji's hand and smiled brightly. Whatever Shinji had been battling with internally before had been concluded or at least set aside for the time being.

"You got lucky," Kumiko joked, "We both know that I'm the superior Shinigami."

"You wish pipsqueak."

With the spar coming to an end, Byakuya returned his attention to Hisana and Juushiro. The young black haired woman was chatting serenely with Juushiro, jumping from one topic to another. Hisana was far more pleasant to be around that Byakuya had initially determined she would be. It was only natural that he would be spending a lot of time with her. He enjoyed the fact that she knew when it was best to keep silent and when to say something, as if she had developed a connection with his mind and knew what he wanted and when. Despite this, when Byakuya really thought about it, he couldn't help but think that Hisana mirrored someone else and he couldn't remember who it was she resembled.

"Lying to ourselves are we?" Senbonzakura whispered, dancing around in the depths of Byakuya's soul. "So unlike you, Byakuya."

Byakuya chose to ignore his zanpakuto's words as Kumiko sheathed her sword and lied down on the ground. Shinji took a seat next to the purple haired taicho when he put stowed his sword and stared up into the skies.

"Are you alright, Shinji?"

"I'll tell you about it some other time," Shinji replied. "Kuchiki's up there."

Kumiko threw an arm over her eyes and nodded, "I saw."

"You talked to him since then?"

"Iie. I don't really have anything to say to him."

Against the glare of the sun, Shinji spotted the white haired head of Juushiro lean in and wave. Shinji returned the gesture and stood up, anticipating Juushiro's request for them to come up from the training grounds.

"You've got a visitor," Shinji said as Kumiko sat up, "And I don't think Ukitake's talkin' about Kuchiki."

Peeling herself up off of the ground, Kumiko stood and, together with Shinji, made her way back up to the division grounds. She was greeted by the familiar face of Hisana and the cold glare of the man she had spent so many years alongside. Hisana took a step towards Kumiko and bowed deeply.

"Ohayo, Hisashi-taicho," Hisana greeted meekly, "That spar was unlike anything I have ever seen before."

Shinji laughed, "Don't get out much do you?"

Kumiko elbowed Shinji quickly, "Arigato, Hisana-san. This is Hirako-taicho of the fifth division. I humbly request that you ignore his presence from this moment forward."

Hisana smiled and reclaimed her position next to Byakuya. Kumiko twitched just a little when the woman did so, rolling her shoulder out slowly to try and cover the action. The civilian woman was pretty, her hair pitch black and sleek with a timid disposition. The way that she and Byakuya stood next to each other bothered the tenth division taicho. It was like they fit perfectly as if the gods had made them for each other.

"How long will you be staying in the Seireitei, Hisana-san?" Kumiko asked, her fists clenching.

"I was supposed to return to the Rukongai last week, Hisashi-taicho," Hisana answered, her small and skinny hands coming together at her stomach, "But I found myself unable to leave as one of my companions was injured during the menos incident. He is currently under the care of Isane-fukutaicho."

"And what of your well being?" Kumiko followed up as Juushiro ushered them towards his quarters.

"Minor injuries only, Hisashi-taicho and they have been taken care of thanks to you," Hisana smiled, "Arigato."

"Think nothing of it," Kumiko replied, "It was partly our fault that you were injured in the first place. I apologize that for that. My squad didn't have the time to clear out civilians without compromising the advantage we had on the hollows."

Shinji's eyes darted to Kumiko's clenched hands as they travelled to the porch and took their seats on the pillows by the tea cups that had been set out. The blonde looked to Juushiro who shook his head in return. For formalities sake, Kumiko would have to deal with being in Byakuya's vicinity.

"I understand completely," Hisana returned before she looked up at the complacent face of Kuchiki Byakuya, "I am just happy to have been treated so kindly. Kuchiki-sama has been particularly kind, neh, Kuchiki-sama? He has been keeping me company as his schedule permitted this past week.

Byakuya tensed at the mention of his name, unprepared for this divulging of information with Kumiko. Of course he had expected Juushiro to share the news with the woman, but at least then he wouldn't be around to see Kumiko's reaction. Regaining his calm, Byakuya reasoned with himself. What use was there in beating around the bush?

"You meaning running away from the bush, right?" Senbonzakura scoffed. Byakuya was tempted to roll his eyes.

Upon hearing Hisana's news, Kumiko couldn't help but start and cast a glance at Byakuya. Hadn't he chosen to end their friendship and disassociate himself with her precisely because she was from the Rukongai? Kumiko looked down at her lap, her fists clinging to the fabric of her hakama. What was it that made her so different from Hisana? There was a new found warmth atop her clenched fists and Kumiko's eyes settled on Shinji's hand as he silently willed her to regain her composure. Letting the black fabric slip from her fingers, Kumiko looked up at the smiling face of Hisana. Of course. Hisana had probably never sold herself to anyone before. She seemed too kind. Too innocent. Much less haunted.

The trained eye allowed Byakuya to catch the barely noticeable reaction that Kumiko had to Hisana's news. Had it not been for the fact that the elders had told him to sit up straight at all times, Byakuya was positive his shoulders would have dropped just a fraction at the emotion he read in Kumiko's eyes. She looked up and met his glance.

Shinji too was assessing the situation, cursing himself for having been trained to be observant. There really was a world of difference between Kumiko and Hisana but they were very much alike at the same time. In his previous interactions with Hisana, he noticed that there were characteristics in both women that were parallel to each other. Had he been making an informed hypothesis, Shinji would have been forced to say that it was the similarity between the two women that drew Byakuya to Hisana. It wasn't difficult to conclude that Byakuya had been very taken with Kumiko before. Whatever the noble saw in Kumiko before, he was now seeing in Hisana. Though he wondered if the Kuchiki elders had gotten wind of this just yet, he was more curious as to why the snotty brat was dangling this information in front of Kumiko. If Byakuya was looking to make the taicho jealous, it was mission accomplished.

The tension between the two former friends was palpable and Juushiro took his cue to merrily pour Hisana a cup of tea and distract her with a list of questions he had mentally listed down to prepare for this moment. Shinji joined him a few moments later as Byakuya and Kumiko kept their gazes connected. Byakuya noted a hint of sadness in the tenth division captain's green eyes. In those eyes he could see a replay of all the things he had said and done to Kumiko in the previous weeks and the guilt nearly over took him. His orbs hardened. What he did was for Kumiko's own good. She didn't really love Aizen, he could feel it so strong that he damn well believed it.

"_And you know this how_?" Senbonzakura asked with her timely interjections. The zanpakuto spirit waited a few long seconds only to get no answer in return. Taking the silence as a cue to continue, she remarked with interest, "_Maybe you should talk to her_. "

"_Contact with Kumiko would go against the wishes of the clan."_

"_Didn't Hisana say that she was also a Rukongai commoner? And from Inuzuri no less. I'm curious, Byakuya, what makes Kumiko any different?"_

"_Must I be remind you about the undeniably tainted life she used to live?"_

"_Must I remind you that you continue to fail to take into consideration the circumstances of her choices? Did you even bother to ask her before you severed your ties and broke a heart?"_

He most certainly had not. Kumiko's brows furrowed and she finally broke eye contact. She hated Byakuya and the way it made her feel when he stared into her eyes. It was like he could read her every thought and dismantling her from the inside out.

"_You should, at the very least, apologize to the woman for using her as an outlet for your frustration."_

"_And inform her about my current predicaments? I politely but firmly decline."_

"_You two used to know everything about each other."_

"_That was then and this is now. Things are far from what they used to be, Senbonzakura. I expected you to be very well aware of this."_

"_Someone's coming."_

Conversation between Hisana, Juushiro and Shinji had been cut short when the two captains feel silent. There was a clear unease in the civilian's surroundings. She looked around her company and found them all to be looking at an empty patch of grass a few meters away as if they were expecting someone to arrive. She blinked once and figure clad in deep blue was kneeling in the area she had been looking at prior.

"Kuchiki-sama," the man's voice was deep and rough, "Your presence has been requested at the estate. Kuchiki-taicho is feeling well enough to speak with you."

Ignoring the look that Kumiko was giving him and well aware that Kumiko was quite fond of his grandfather, Byakuya excused himself and quickly departed alongside the clan messenger. Juushiro's concern washed over his face and Kumiko rapidly turned to him.

"Well enough? Is Kuchiki-taicho ill?"

Hesitating slightly, Juushiro looked to Shinji for an answer and received nothing more than a shrug.

"Senpai?" Kumiko asked again.

"Hai, Kumiko. Kuchiki-taicho has been sick for quite some time now."

"But he'll be okay soon, right?" Kumiko followed up.

Silence was her response. Kumiko's eyes fell upon the seat that Byakuya has previously occupied as Juushiro quickly picked up conversation with Hisana once again. Worry quickly took reign of Kumiko's thoughts. Kuchiki Genrei had been a kind man that was never short of a polite greeting when they crossed paths. An image of Byakuya's face earlier registered in her mind's eye. What was Genrei's condition? She hadn't even been told that he was sick. Kumiko understood perfectly just how much Byakuya loved and adored his grandfather. He must have been devastated when Genrei fell ill. Might this have added to the confrontation they had two weeks prior? She had no answers as of now, just the promise to visit Genrei soon. She owed the elder Kuchiki that at the least.

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A/N: I'm sorry this sucked so much. I just felt the pressure to update quickly. I'll make it up with the next chapter. I promise you guys.

-the holy see

When someone is melancholic, they feel the weight of the world's sadness.


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